National Football League

Bijan Robinson could make Eagles' offense even scarier

Updated Apr. 24, 2023 6:08 p.m. ET

The Eagles have figured out the secret to success in the modern NFL. It's why they traded up in the draft for receiver Devonta Smith two years ago. It's why they traded a first-round pick last year for receiver A.J. Brown. It's why they just gave quarterback Jalen Hurts a $255 million contract.

"Offenses dominate in this league," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said at the NFL owners meetings last month. "We had an outstanding defense this year. But when you come to games with great quarterbacks, offense has dominated in this league. That's why we've always focused more resource allocation on making sure we have an outstanding offense, because it's very hard to stop."

If he really does believe that, if that's really the Eagles' way, how could they possibly pass up Texas running back Bijan Robinson on Thursday night if he's still there when they make the 10th pick in the NFL Draft?

It could be hard, if not impossible, for Eagles general manager Howie Roseman to say no to arguably the most dynamic offensive player in this draft. The 5-11, 215-pound Robinson is "one of the five best players in this class," according to NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang ranked him fifth overall and went even farther, writing "a valid argument could be made that Robinson … is the best all-around player in this draft."

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The numbers certainly back it up. He ran for 2,707 yards and 29 touchdowns in the past two seasons for the Longhorns. He caught 45 passes for 609 yards and six touchdowns, too. He ran a 4.46 in the 40 at the combine, he's got ankle-breaking moves, and is as dangerous running between the tackles as he is on the outside.

The only reason he's not a no-brainer, top-10 pick is that he's a running back — a position that has been devalued by many around the NFL over the last decade. There are many NFL GMs who don't think a running back is ever worth a top-10 pick or the financial investment that comes with it. And many around the league believe that Roseman is one of them.

But is he as running back-averse as people think?

"I think the most important thing when you're picking in the first round, certainly when you're picking 10, is that you get a unique player," Roseman said last week. "I think that if you start saying, ‘Hey, we can only get a unique player, but it's got to be this position,' you really narrow your options right there."

Roseman promised he's being "as open-minded as possible" and is focused on finding a player "we think can really impact the game."

That sure sounds like a description of Robinson. Then again, there are valid points in the argument against a running back's positional value, too. It should make for a very interesting discussion in the Philadelphia war room if Robinson is still there when the Eagles make their selection.

Here's a closer look at the cases for and against the Eagles taking Robinson with the 10th overall pick:

The case for Philly taking Bijan Robinson at 10:

First of all, the Eagles could use him. They let Miles Sanders and his 1,269 rushing yards leave in free agency for a four-year, $25.4 million contract with Carolina. They replaced him with the talented Rashaad Penny, but he's missed 32 games over the last three seasons with injuries.

Robinson could carry the Eagles' backfield. With him behind that still-powerful offensive line they'd almost certainly be a top-five rushing team for a third year in a row. Even better, his presence could allow the Eagles to run Hurts less, protecting their $51 million-per-year investment even more.

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And it's not like Roseman doesn't understand what a talented running back could do for his offense. He reportedly called about Christian McCaffrey last October before he was traded from Carolina to San Francisco (though he reportedly was only willing to offer a third-round pick).

McCaffrey's value was different than many running backs because of his ability as a receiver. It makes him more of a "weapon" than anything else. And that's how some scouts view Robinson. He was arguably underused as a receiver at Texas, but the skills are obviously there. And the Eagles could use those skills, since they got only 48 catches for 262 yards out of their three running backs last season.

Just imagine how much things could open up for Smith, Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert if opposing defenses had to worry about Robinson coming out of the Eagles' backfield to catch passes, too.

That ability could trump any talk of "positional value", especially for a team that's a legitimate Super Bowl contender. It may not be wise for most teams to make a significant long-term investment in, or to try to build around a running back. But the Eagles should be looking at this as a one-year plan.

For an Eagles team that doesn't enter the draft with many needs or obvious holes, Robinson could be the piece that puts them back over the top.

The case against Philly taking Bijan Robinson at 10:

Roseman has made a point of building through the trenches during his long reign in Philadelphia, and has lived by the philosophy that everything on offense starts up front. It's worked, too. He's developed a pretty good and consistent rushing attack for the Eagles by plugging in a wide array of backs behind a consistently powerful offensive line.

That's the best argument against investing in a running back: Build a line and the rushing yards will come. The Eagles had the NFL's best rushing attack in 2021 and they got 1,824 yards out of four running backs. That included a second-round pick (Miles Sanders), two fifth-rounders (Kenneth Gainwell, Jordan Howard) and a sixth-rounder (Boston Scott).

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There is, of course, the long-term risk of investing in players at a position where injuries are common. But even in the short-term, one elite running back like Robinson wasn't going to out-produce that group. Even last year, the Eagles had another 1,745 rushing yards from running backs. Sanders had 1,269 of them, proving again that the line matters more than the back.

That also all speaks to the "value" — the argument most often used against taking running backs high. Really good ones can be found later in the draft — players like Kenneth Walker who had 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns for Seattle last season despite starting just 11 games. He was taken nine picks into the second round.

So why pass on an elite pass-rusher or cornerback or offensive linemen to take a running back at 10 when good ones will be available in Round 2 or later? The Eagles could get Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs with their other first-round pick (30th) or maybe in the second round, and he's nearly as electric as Robinson and maybe an even better receiver. Zach Charbonnet had 2,496 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns the last two seasons for UCLA. Texas A&M's Devon Achane has 4.3 speed.

And all of them could be available on Day 2.

Are any of them going to be better than Robinson? Probably not. But on a Super Bowl-ready team with a deep rotation of running backs, all of them — and many others available in the mid-rounds — could be more than good enough.

So if Bijan Robinson is there at 10, what will the Eagles do?

There are a lot of people around the NFL who believe the Eagles should absolutely take Robinson if he's there at 10. There are a lot fewer people who think Roseman will actually do it.

But he should, and here's why: The Eagles just don't have many needs in this draft. They are deep on both lines, strong at cornerback, good enough at most other positions. Their $51 million-per-year quarterback has two elite receivers and an elite tight end. And Hurts is a good enough runner to make sure Philly has a strong rushing attack.

But they don't have an elite running back. And while it's true they could probably get by without one, the Eagles aren't just looking to "get by." Think of it this way: The Giants were roundly criticized for taking Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in 2018 — way too high, many said, for his position. But as a rookie on a bad team behind a bad offensive line, Barkley had 1,307 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. And more importantly he caught 91 passes for 721 yards and four touchdowns.

Imagine how unstoppable the Eagles' offense could be with a running back who could do something like that.

And by the way, don't assume Roseman wouldn't do it. He's run nine of the Eagles' last 10 drafts and in that time he used four first-round picks on offensive or defensive linemen, but he also used four first-rounders to either draft or trade for a receiver. No, receivers aren't running backs, and Sanders is the only running back he's even taken with a Day 2 pick in that span. But the point is that Roseman hasn't exactly shied away from drafting offensive skill players and weapons during his tenure.

After all, as Lurie said: "Offenses dominate in this league." Philadelphia had the third-best offense in the NFL last season. Imagine how dominant they could be this season if they add one of the draft's best weapons to that.

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports, covering the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. He spent the previous six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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