Cowboys' VP Jones: Dallas Not Ruling Out Drafting Texas' Bijan Robinson
Expert Analysis 4/19/23
The Dallas Cowboys faced a lot of criticism for drafting Ezekiel Elliott in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft and giving him an expensive extension. With Elliot gone, the team is not ruling out taking another first-round running back this season in Texas' Bijan Robinson, executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Tuesday.
"I don't think I've seen any set of circumstances that he's not a first-round pick in almost any draft," Jones said about drafting Robinson. "I'm sure when that first day [of the draft] is over, he's gonna certainly have a team, and you never know."
>> READ: The 33rd Team's Mock Draft 5.0Â
Robinson (scouting report) is considered one of the better players in the class. He's RB1 and the sixth overall player on The 33rd Team's big board. Dave Wannstedt, an analyst for The 33rd Team, believes Robinson makes a ton of sense for the Cowboys at No. 26 overall.
"With every Super Bowl run [the Cowboys] have had, there have been great running backs that have been the lifeline of the offense," Wannstedt said. "When you look at Bijan Robinson, he can catch the ball. He's an every-down back. He's a big-time player."
The Cowboys still have Tony Pollard, who they used the franchise tag on this offseason, in the building. However, he's coming off a broken fibula suffered in the Cowboys' Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Pollard finished with a career-high 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Dallas' only addition to the running back room this offseason was signing Ronald Jones, who spent last season with the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Cowboys' interest in Robinson makes sense, given coach Mike McCarthy said one of the reasons the team parted ways with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is because McCarthy wants to run the ball more. Drafting Robinson to pair with Pollard would give the Cowboys a formidable one-two punch at the position.