Bijan Robinson is Boring to Watch

Texas’ running back (RB) Bijan Robinson is one of the most hyped prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.

I don’t get it. I find him to be very boring to watch.

13 games.

That’s the number of games I’ve watched Robinson play in over the past two seasons, and each time I’ve come away with the same impression.

There’s just nothing special about him.

I know this is an unpopular opinion thanks to mainstream media, and it’s not even my opinion. It’s what he put on game film.

See for yourself. All 13 games are embedded below.

What does Robinson look like on game film?

Robinson is a nice downhill cut-back runner with excellent vision, instincts, and balance.

He takes what’s there to take – – but almost any running back can do that.

The big problem is his lack of playing speed. He doesn’t have the juice to win outside the tackles or to outrun a defense.

He’s not elusive enough either.

There’s a huge difference between being elusive and taking advantage of shoddy tackling.

Everyone wants to make such a great big deal out of the 104 broken tackles this past season. A lot of the “tackling” attempts in these games were a joke.

Where are the big plays?

Robinson lacks edge

He doesn’t run hard enough most of the time, and the latest three games studied prove it.

There is one run in the three games against Oklahoma, Louisiana-Monroe, and West Virginia when he noticeably ran much harder than the rest of the time.

He’s just not a violent slashing runner.

I’ve been watching NFL running backs for 40 years – – Robinson isn’t it. There’s nothing dominant about him on his game film.

Robinson is no Breece Hall

This is the litmus test when it comes to how to value Robinson in the upcoming draft.

Last year, the league valued Iowa State’s RB Breece Hall as a second-round pick when the Jets selected him at No. 36.

Had Hall not gotten injured last season, there is a chance he could have won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Honors.

I was so impressed by Hall in my pre-draft evaluation, I compared him to the No. 5 NFL RB of all time, Adrian Peterson.

Hall’s college game film is superior to what Robinson has shown.

That tells me there’s no way Robinson is a first-round league value.

#5 Bijan Robinson 6-foot-0, 220 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s Final 2023 NFL Draft Grade: Third-Round (I would not select him)

Bust Probability: High

Projected by 93.8% (up from 93.3% on March 23) of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of April 18, 2023 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Previous articles:

Longhorns’ Bijan Robinson Isn’t A NFL Franchise Back

Bijan Robinson is No Saquon Barkley

Ezekiel Elliott is a Better Running Back than Bijan Robinson

Previous game film evaluated in prior articles: (2021): Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Arkansas (2022): Kansas State, Alabama, Texas Tech, Kansas, TCU, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State

2022 game film viewed for this evaluation: Oklahoma, Louisiana-Monroe, and West Virginia

Level of competition: Moderate

2021 rushing stats: 195 carries for 1,127 yards (5.8 avg.), 11 TD, 62 long

2021 receiving stats: 26 receptions (33 targets and an 81% catch rate) 295 yards (11.3 avg.), 4 TD, 38 long

2022 rushing stats: 258 carries for 1,580 yards (6.1 avg.), 18TD, 78 long

2022 receiving stats: 19 receptions (32 targets and a 59% catch rate) 314 yards (16.5 avg.), 2 TD, 42 long

2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

North-South dual threat with one-gear-average playing speed. Good effort, but bogs down between 0-5 yards 90% of the time. Tough time breaking out of the pack. Inconsistent making the first man miss. Needs space created for him. Determined inside, but runs high. Easier target. Willing blitz pickup. Decent safety valve who takes what there is to take as a receiver.

Final words

Robinson will be a disappointment in the NFL.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He currently writes for Sports Illustrated New York Jets and he is the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. He can be followed on Twitter @firstroundmock.