HEADLINES

Bijan Robinson

Draft Notes: Seahawks, Eagles, Carter, Steelers

March 25th, 2023 at 11:51am CST by Ben Levine

Armed with a pair of top-20 picks, the Seahawks have been busy evaluating their first-round options. This past week, the organization was busy scouting some of the draft’s top quarterback prospects.

According to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter), the Seahawks sent a “contingent” led by head coach Pete Carroll, general manager John Schneider, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson to meet privately with Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets that the Seahawks also checked out the Pro Days for C.J. Stroud and Will Levis.

The Seahawks inked quarterback Geno Smith to a three-year extension, but the team-friendly nature of that deal shouldn’t preclude the organization from selecting a QB prospect in the upcoming draft. Seattle is in possession of picks No. 5 and No. 20, meaning they even have the ammo to trade up for one of the preferred targets. The more realistic route would see the organization staying pat at No. 5 and potentially selecting a signal-caller.

More draft notes from around the NFL…

  • One of the league’s most dynamic offenses is eyeing one of the draft’s most dynamic playmakers. Texas running back Bijan Robinson had a predraft visit with the Eagles earlier this week, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). The Eagles lost top RB Miles Sanders this offseason, but they’ve added Rashaad Penny to a RB room that still features mainstays Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott. As Garafolo warns, Eagles GM Howie Roseman has never selected a running back in the first round, and the organization hasn’t taken a first-round RB since 1986.
  • Jalen Carter has had a concerning predraft process. He had to leave the combine while facing charges of reckless driving and draft racing following a deadly car accident that killed a Georgia teammate and staffer. As Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post writes, the defensive lineman also “put on considerable weight” before his pro day, and his performance was described as “less than stellar.” When coupled with the potential run on QBs, Carter could fall out of the top-five, something that was unthinkable only a few months ago. However, one executive doesn’t believe Carter will experience a significant fall down draft boards and attributed the poor performance to tough coaching. “It really wasn’t as bad as how it was reported,” the exec told La Canfora. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. [Chiefs defensive line coach] Joe Cullen was leading the drills, and he went pretty hard on the kid. I don’t know if he was trying to make a point, but he had him doing the same drills as [much smaller linebacker] Nolan Smith, and he was really trying to wear the kid out.”
  • The Steelers could use the draft to add a defensive tackle, and the organization has already met with Michigan lineman Mazi Smith. Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com believes Pittsburgh would select Smith over Clemson’s Bryan Bresee at pick No. 17, but there’s a “a battle between the two.” Ultimately, Wilson says Smith’s “rough-and-tumble style” would better fit the Steelers’ mold than Bresee’s “finesse.” Meanwhile, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Minnesota OL John Michael Schmitz met with the Steelers earlier this week, so the team is definitely keeping their options open in the middle of the first round.
  • Before yesterday’s pro day, Boston College wideout Zay Flowers met with the Saints and Giants, according to Pelissero (on Twitter). The projected first-round pick has put on 13 pounds of muscle during the pre-combine process, and Pelissero believes the wideout could add even more weight before the draft.

Texas RB Bijan Robinson Declares For Draft

December 19th, 2022 at 12:42pm CST by Adam La Rose

The consensus top running back in the 2023 draft class has, to no surprise, entered the pool of April’s NFL-eligible prospects. Texas’ Bijan Robinson announced (on Twitter) that he is forgoing his final year of NCAA eligibility and turning pro.

Robinson was an immediate contributor for the Longhorns in his freshman campaign, rushing for 703 yards and four touchdowns. He also displayed a dual-threat ability by adding 196 yards and a pair of scores through the air. That production continued the following year, when the 6-0, 215-pounder topped 1,000 rushing yards and recorded double-digit touchdowns for the first time.

This season, Robinson went a step further with a Big 12-leading 1,580 yards on the ground, coupled with 314 receiving yards. His 20 total touchdowns led the conference, and made him an easy selection as a consensus All-American and this year’s winner of the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Robinson also finished top-10 in Heisman voting, and his 3,410 career rushing yards rank fourth in school history.

Robinson represents the latest fodder for the debate on how highly running backs should be valued in the draft. In a mock released earlier this month, ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Eagles selecting him fifth overall – by far the highest a tailback would be taken since Saquon Barkley went second to the Giants in 2018. Five running backs have heard their names called on Day 1 since then (Sony Michel, Josh Jacobs, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Najee Harris and Travis Etienne), although there were no first-rounders at the position last year.

The fact that Philadelphia is slated to have multiple first-round picks could play a significant role in their choice to draft a Miles Sanders replacement, should they go down that hypothetical path. A number of other teams will be highly interested in adding Robinson, of course, so his draft stock in the coming months will be worth monitoring closely.