Risen Star
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Jon Machota asking the questions. Dane giving the answers.
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With the Cowboys moving on from Ezekiel Elliott, running back is certainly in play for Dallas in this draft. How great of a value would Texas’ Bijan Robinson be for the Cowboys, if he’s still available at Pick 26? How much better of a running back prospect is he than the other backs in this class?
Bijan is one of the best talents in this class. You don’t pass on Bijan Robinson if you’re the Cowboys, in my opinion. Coming off the Zeke era in Dallas, I think a lot of people are very sensitive to drafting a running back in the first round. But this is not a top-five pick, this is late first round, and a player that talent-wise belongs in the top five to seven picks of this draft. You’re getting a guy that the tape is awesome, the person is awesome. That’s something that just talking with scouts, they always bring up with Bijan Robinson. It’s not just how special of a player he is, it’s how special of a dude he is. He’s a guy that gets it. He’s very polished, his character is good, he’s great for your locker room.
When you think about the running back position for the Cowboys, I’m a fan of Tony Pollard, but he’s coming off a big injury and he’s on a one-year contract with the franchise tag. So, the long-term vision of running back for this team is really unsettled. I would be very surprised if Robinson makes it all the way there to the Cowboys at 26, but if he does, he’s too special of a player, with his elusiveness, his vision, his power, he’s the complete package as a runner and as a receiver. The Cowboys should not pass on him if he makes it there.
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Let’s say the Cowboys don’t draft a running back in the first round, who are some backs you like that could potentially be there for them late in the second or third round?
Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama, he’s more of that Pollard style where he is not a true workhorse, bell-cow type of back. He’s 200 pounds. But if he makes it, and we’re talking about value, you don’t pass on Gibbs in the second round because of what he does bring to your offense. He’s another guy that has a very instinctive ability to make people miss. He’s so sudden with his feet, a very natural receiver. No way am I passing on Gibbs if I’m the Cowboys in the second round.
I think maybe the more realistic option would be Zach Charbonnet from UCLA, who doesn’t have that type of big-time athleticism. If he had better speed and burst, we’d be talking about Charbonnet as probably a first-round pick. But because he’s only average in terms of explosiveness, he will probably be available in the middle of the second round to early third-round range, somewhere in the 45 to 75 range probably. Where he really excels is the vision, the way he reads the field. He sets up blocks exceptionally well. He consistently picked up positive yardage. He absorbs contact well. His balance is outstanding. He’s a guy that’s not going to hit a ton of home runs. He’s not a power hitter. But he’s going to pile up the doubles. He had a really high percentage this year of carries of 10-plus yards, consistently just picking up positive yardage. After contact this year, he averaged 4.2 yards per carry. That really says a lot about his ability to maximize each run. And he’s a very reliable pass catcher. He’s a guy that can stay on the field in any situation. He’s a really reliable player who I think would make sense to pair him with a guy like Pollard.
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With the Cowboys moving on from Ezekiel Elliott, running back is certainly in play for Dallas in this draft. How great of a value would Texas’ Bijan Robinson be for the Cowboys, if he’s still available at Pick 26? How much better of a running back prospect is he than the other backs in this class?
Bijan is one of the best talents in this class. You don’t pass on Bijan Robinson if you’re the Cowboys, in my opinion. Coming off the Zeke era in Dallas, I think a lot of people are very sensitive to drafting a running back in the first round. But this is not a top-five pick, this is late first round, and a player that talent-wise belongs in the top five to seven picks of this draft. You’re getting a guy that the tape is awesome, the person is awesome. That’s something that just talking with scouts, they always bring up with Bijan Robinson. It’s not just how special of a player he is, it’s how special of a dude he is. He’s a guy that gets it. He’s very polished, his character is good, he’s great for your locker room.
When you think about the running back position for the Cowboys, I’m a fan of Tony Pollard, but he’s coming off a big injury and he’s on a one-year contract with the franchise tag. So, the long-term vision of running back for this team is really unsettled. I would be very surprised if Robinson makes it all the way there to the Cowboys at 26, but if he does, he’s too special of a player, with his elusiveness, his vision, his power, he’s the complete package as a runner and as a receiver. The Cowboys should not pass on him if he makes it there.
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Let’s say the Cowboys don’t draft a running back in the first round, who are some backs you like that could potentially be there for them late in the second or third round?
Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama, he’s more of that Pollard style where he is not a true workhorse, bell-cow type of back. He’s 200 pounds. But if he makes it, and we’re talking about value, you don’t pass on Gibbs in the second round because of what he does bring to your offense. He’s another guy that has a very instinctive ability to make people miss. He’s so sudden with his feet, a very natural receiver. No way am I passing on Gibbs if I’m the Cowboys in the second round.
I think maybe the more realistic option would be Zach Charbonnet from UCLA, who doesn’t have that type of big-time athleticism. If he had better speed and burst, we’d be talking about Charbonnet as probably a first-round pick. But because he’s only average in terms of explosiveness, he will probably be available in the middle of the second round to early third-round range, somewhere in the 45 to 75 range probably. Where he really excels is the vision, the way he reads the field. He sets up blocks exceptionally well. He consistently picked up positive yardage. He absorbs contact well. His balance is outstanding. He’s a guy that’s not going to hit a ton of home runs. He’s not a power hitter. But he’s going to pile up the doubles. He had a really high percentage this year of carries of 10-plus yards, consistently just picking up positive yardage. After contact this year, he averaged 4.2 yards per carry. That really says a lot about his ability to maximize each run. And he’s a very reliable pass catcher. He’s a guy that can stay on the field in any situation. He’s a really reliable player who I think would make sense to pair him with a guy like Pollard.
