There was arguably not a better running back in college football last season than Bijan Robinson for the Texas Longhorns.
Robinson put together a dominant season in his last year as a Longhorn en route to being a unanimous All-American and bringing the Doak Walker Award back to Austin. Now, he will likely be the first running back taken in the 2023 NFL draft.
Where he lands, though, has been a highly debated topic. The value of taking running backs in the first round has decreased, but when that running back is considered the best prospect since Saquon Barkley, exceptions are likely to be made.
PFF agrees with that line of thinking, as their latest mock draft sees Robinson coming off the board to the Detroit Lions with their No. 18 overall pick.
No. 18 - Bijan Robinson - RB (Texas)
The Lions have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and it could be intact for quite a while. At that point, it could make sense to put an elite talent like Robinson behind it and give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares. Robinson set the PFF college single-season record with 104 broken tackles this past season.
Robinson finished his last season as a Longhorn recording 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground, good for sixth and tied-fifth in the country respectively. As well, he added 314 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns on 19 receptions.
While the Lions did have a good rushing attack this season, they may choose to opt for youth at the position in Robinson. After all, Jamaal Williams is a free agent and D'Andre Swift has dealt with injury concerns.
Inserting Robinson into a Lions offense that averaged 26.6 points per game, while rushing 128.2 yards per game, could be deadly. Robinson is undoubtedly a first-round talent, and whatever team realizes that will get a game changer for their offense.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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