Yes, running backs in the NFL these days are considered about as valuable as a rusty push mower at a yard sale, but the name of the game remains putting the ball in the end zone.
And among the prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, running back Bijan Robinson does that about as well as anyone. The Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s top running back, Robinson finished with 1,580 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns during his final college season at Texas.
The Cardinals could perhaps find a running back or two in the later rounds who together may give Arizona similar production to Robinson. The percentages are likely in their favor.
But the Cardinals are not having a great offseason. Owner Michael Bidwell is embroiled in a public spat with a former employee resulting in the airing of dirty laundry in public. An anonymous player survey by the NFL Players Association ranked the Cardinals No. 31 out of 32 teams in the league, including failing grades for treatment of families, food service and nutrition, weight room, training room and locker room.
Electric quarterback Kyler Murray is rehabbing from an ACL knee injury and likely will not be available at the start of the regular season. Besides Murray, Arizona’s roster lacks star power. J.J. Watt retired. The team’s top playmaker, receiver DeAndre Hopkins, has requested a trade.
The bottom line is the Cardinals need some sunny news to uplift the franchise and pump up an apathetic fan base after finishing 4-13 last season, firing head coach Kyle Kingsbury and hiring a new one in Jonathan Gannon.
Thy could use a new face of the franchise in Robinson.
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According to an ESPN report, at least six teams have contacted the Cardinals about trading up for the team’s No. 3 overall pick. The Cardinals have eight selections in this year’s draft and could use even more draft capital to help replenish the roster as new general manager Monti Ossenfort and Gannon enter their first season together.
Gannon said he’s comfortable with trading back, if Ossenfort determines that’s what is best for the organization.
“There’s a lot of good players out there,” Gannon told reporters this week. “I don’t really look at guys’ value as far as when would you want to pick them. I look at, do you want this guy? Will he help us win? Does he have the right type of character?
“Can he help us win, basically. That’s kind of the buckets I put them in, and Monti handles the rest.”
In our FOX Sports NFL writers’ mock draft, Robinson went No. 27 overall to the Buffalo Bills. FOX Sports College Football analyst Joel Klatt has Robinson going No. 10 to the Philadelphia Eagles. FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang ranks Robinson as the No. 5 overall player in this year’s draft. FOX Bet Trading Operations Associate Matthew Griffe said if he were to set a projected draft line for Robinson, he’d go with a hypothetical Over/Under number of 25.5.
Bijan Robinson among Joel Klatt’s top 10 picks
It would be up to Ossenfort to find the sweet spot in trading back to where Robinson would be available.
Ossenfort experienced first-hand while working with the Tennessee Titans what an elite running back like Derrick Henry can do for a team. Gannon also understands the importance of a good running game to create complementary football, having just arrived from Philadelphia. Led by dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles had one of the top five rushing offenses in the league last year, and the No. 1 rushing offense in the postseason.
Further, the Cardinals can look to their own division to see the impact elite running backs have on winning.
San Francisco traded second-, third- and fourth-round selections in this year’s draft, along with a fifth rounder in 2024, to the Carolina Panthers in a midseason trade for Christian McCaffrey. The Stanford product ignited the 49ers offense during the second half of the season, helping to make the game easier for rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. McCaffrey was selected No. 8 overall in the 2017 draft.
The Seahawks selected Ken Walker III at No. 41 overall in 2022. He served as one of the engines for Seattle’s offense that led to a surprising 9-8 record and playoff appearance in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year for Pete Carroll.
Current Arizona starting running back James Conner turns 28 years old next month and has never made it through a full season healthy. Conner is scheduled to make nearly $8 million in guaranteed money this year, the second of a three-year, $21 million deal he signed last offseason. He played his best when he shared time with Chase Edmonds two years ago.
According to Spotrac, the No. 11 selection — currently held by the Titans, a quarterback-needy team — is projected to sign a four-year deal worth nearly $21 million. That’s seems like fair compensation for Robinson as he enters the league already as one of the top runners in terms of his unique skill set.
Is Bijan Robinson the No. 1 RB in the draft?
Last month Joel Klatt discussed Bijan Robinson’s performance at the 2023 NFL Combine.
Also, Robinson is an Arizona native, having grown up just a few hours south of the Phoenix area in Tucson. So the Cardinals selecting the dynamic running back would be a homecoming of sorts for Robinson.
Some scouts have said that Robinson is the most talented running back prospect since Saquon Barkley, selected No. 2 overall by the New York Giants in the 2018 draft. Of course, Barkley has had trouble staying on the field, but when healthy, he has been one of the best runners in the game.
Robinson looks to another talented NFL runner for inspiration, Hall of Famer Barry Sanders.
“I watch [film of] him probably every other day,” Robinson said. “I’m always trying to mimic his moves. He was so good at doing things you couldn’t do. He was the guy where every single time he touched the ball, you would stand up to see what he was trying to do.”
If Robinson turns out to be even half as good as Sanders, he’s worth the investment for the Cardinals.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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