Running backs aren't worth a first-round pick, we're told. They're too likely to break down and too easy to replace. They can be found with just as much success in the later rounds of the draft. Do the Lions make an exception for Bijan Robinson?
As Peter King points out, if the Lions were to draft Robinson 18th overall with their second first-round pick, his cap number in the first four years of his deal would be "$2.8 million, $3.5 million, $4.2 million, $4.8 million … between 1 and 3 percent of (Detroit's) cap each year."
Given Robinson's superstar tools and the Lions' win-now aspirations, maybe he is worth a first-round pick. He would make one of the best offenses in the NFL even better from the jump.
"The closest the Lions have to an elite playmaker is probably Amon-Ra St. Brown. Bijan Robinson might become the most talented guy with the ball in his hands," says Doug Karsch. "It’s hard to envision the impact a high-end running back can make until you plug him into your offense and go, 'Oh my god, this really is cool.'"
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The Lions averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season, their best mark this century. Plug in Robinson and David Montgomery behind one of the top offensive lines in the NFL, and 5.0 yards per carry wouldn't be out of the question next season.
"They’ve shown the ability to run the football," says Gator. "They ran the ball extremely well in situations last season, goal line they were unstoppable. But what they didn’t have was a running back who was going to threaten you for 100 yards every game. Bijan Robinson would threaten that and he would absolutely make this offense even better."
Just imagine trying to game-plan against the Lions as an opposing coach, says Karsch:
"If you had problems stopping the Lions offense last year with Jamaal Williams and hit-and-miss D'Andre Swift, imagine how much more difficult it will be with Bijan Robinson and David Montgomery. I mean, who’s the No. 1 bullet point on a defensive coordinator's game plan against the Lions? If you’re stopping the run, good luck covering Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, too."
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