Howie Roseman has never taken a running back in the first round of the NFL Draft in his 12-year tenure as Eagles general manager, and asked if that trend could stop this year with a player like Bijan Robinson at No. 10, Roseman didn’t shut the door on the idea.
“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. “I think that there are so few unique players in any draft that if you start picking by position and not based on the quality of the talent, then you really get a chance -- so if you pick by position and you pick a player who's not any good, then it's not a good pick anyway.”
Robinson would be an undeniable talent out of the backfield to pair alongside Jalen Hurts, A.J.Brown, and DeVonta Smith, and will likely become the first running back to be a top-20 pick since Saquon Barkley. But could it come as early as 10 with the Eagles?
It still seems like a long shot, given recent history of how running backs are valued, but Robinson could be a unique situation, one that could lead to Roseman and the Eagles going off the beaten path with a rare top-10 selection.
“We understand how important it is to get this right, and how do you get it right is you make sure you get a unique player,” Roseman said. “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.”