Dallas Cowboys: Meet Bijan Robinson, Running Back, Texas

The running back situation for the Dallas Cowboys is a muddy mess. Still waiting for the final decision on Ezekiel Elliott. Tony Pollard would return from a major injury and still without a contract going into next season. Malik Davis, while very talented, is still an unproven commodity.

Jerry Jones has the final say on what takes place with the 26th pick in the NFL draft. He jumped out of his seat at the chance of picking CeeDee Lamb even though he had Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. Jerry almost missed out on Zack Martin when Johnny Manziel was at his fingertips. The team picked Ezekiel Elliott over Jalen Ramsey. While Zeke has had a tremendous career, would Jerry and co. choose a running back over a bigger need again?

While running back may not be the Dallas Cowboys’ greatest need, Bijan Robinson may be the running back that is too good to pass up for Jerry Jones.

The new running back gem is Mr. Bijan Robinson out of the University of Texas. Back in 2016, Ezekiel Elliott was the belle of the ball. This year, according to some draft experts, Bijan is that running back prospect and he is a match made in heaven for Dallas.

He is a 6’0″ 220 running back from Texas. Following in the footsteps of Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson (rip) and Jamal Charles – that’s an impressive list but Bijan has a chance to be as good as any of them in the right situation.

This kid has speed, explosiveness, vision, cut back ability, good hands and balance when hitting the hole. I’m not saying anything that hasn’t already been said.  The tape doesn’t lie and I’m certain his combine results will back up that film. He is a home run hitter who can stick his foot in the ground and then explode away from defenders. PFF has him high in total missed tackles forced (104). That’s a welcome a sight for this team and definitely an underrated statistic.

Bijan has been the best running back for the last two years in collegiate football. No disrespect to Kenneth Walker. In three seasons, he has been a workhorse with 549 total rushing carries. While it’s great to show off that talent, it may catch up with him as it did Elliott with all the wear and tear on their bodies. But with that, he averaged 1300 yards rushing and 29 rushing touchdowns in his sophomore and junior campaigns. Add on 45 receptions and an additional 6 receiving threat.

It’s not a foregone conclusion Bijan Robinson makes it to 26. However, if he does and the Dallas Cowboys pull that trigger, they just have to play it smarter from a business standpoint. Five years of a rookie contract and maybe one additional year in a franchise tag. Six years of running back production is more than the position’s average life. Please be smarter this time around Jerry.

Bijan Robinson would certainly give the team the juice it would lose if Tony Pollard walked out the door. He is a complete back that can make the Elliott void manageable. The Dallas Cowboys offensive line will be deploying multiple blocking schemes, so they’ll need a running back that can run draw plays, stretch runs, zone runs, etc. Robinson can would be that prospect. Again, if he makes it to 26, what will Jerry do? My guess is he’ll have a star on his helmet before that night is over.

NFL Draft Projection: He should easily be a first round pick but the running back position can be very fickle. He doesn’t go past Dallas’ 26th pick.