There has been a lot of hype around running back draft prospect Bijan Robinson, and rightly so. His combination of size, speed, vision, pass blocking ability, and hands is not something seen in every draft.
Any team would want to hand off to a hammer like that, but are they willing to part with the high draft pick to do it? After all, day two, day three, and undrafted free agent running backs are producing on winning teams in today’s NFL. It’s not necessary to spend a premium pick to get a capable player to field a true contender.
Bucs Aren’t Shying Away
But the Bucs aren’t shying away from taking a closer look, at least. Robinson said Thursday on the Dan Patrick Show that he has met with two teams thus far on official pre-draft visits: the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jason Licht’s interest is certainly understandable. Robinson’s varied and uber-talented skillset would make him a coveted three-down running back in just about any NFL offense. Where big backs are taken off the field on third down, or are part of a rotation, Robinson thrives. At Texas, he lined up and ran some routes in the slot as well as out of the backfield.
Dave Canales’ offense has not been displayed yet, but if it’s premised on misdirection, rollouts, play action as he’s previously noted, then having a chess piece like Robinson makes the Bucs offense significantly more dynamic.
The Bucs currently have running backs Rachaad White, Chase Edmonds, Ke’Shawn Vaughn, and Patrick Laird under contract. White is a solid pro, but none possess the overall set of skills that Robinson does, and the gap between the latter and the rest of the group is substantial.
Some Bucs fans were sour when the team passed on Dalvin Cook in favor of tight end OJ Howard in the 2019 NFL Draft. Cook has turned into a difference-making star in Minnesota, while Howard never reached what seemed to be a significant potential.
Will the Bucs take a different approach in the draft next week, provided Robinson is still available when the team is on the clock? It appears Licht is at least considering it.
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