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Bijan Robinson is expected to be the first running back selected in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently own the 20th overall pick, are one of the most ideal landing spots for the Texas Longhorns star.
The Buccaneers have had a poor season on offense, most obviously on the ground. Robinson would certainly help improve their running game for the 2023 season, given his college performances.
Bijan Robinson has been truly dominant this season, ranking fourth nationally in rushing touchdowns with 18 and fifth in rushing yards (1,580). He also contributed in the passing game, collecting 19 catches, 314 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Impressively, Robinson rushed for over 100 yards in nine of his final 10 games, including two 200-yard performances. He put up a career-high 243 yards and four touchdowns during a November 19 win over Kansas.
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Robinson became the fourth player in Longhorns history to win the Doak Walker Award, which honors the nation's top college running back. He joined Ricky Williams (who won the award twice), Cedric Benson and D’Onta Foreman.
Although he wasn't a finalist for the Heisman Trophy (which was won by USC quarterback Caleb Williams) he did finish ninth in the voting for the prestigious award. He and Michigan running back Blake Corum were the only two non-quarterback top-10 vote-getters.
Bijan Robinson would improve Tampa Bay's nonexistent running game
With Tom Brady leading the way, Tampa Bay’s passing game has been solid, ranking sixth in the NFL with 4,178 yards through the air. However, the Buccaneers have had one of the league’s worst run games this year.
The Buccaneers rank dead-last in rushing yards (1,155), yards per carry (3.4) as well as rushing touchdowns (4). In fact, Tampa Bay’s leading rusher, Leonard Fournette, has collected just 640 rushing yards, ranking him 36th in the entire league.
Fournette recently revealed (in a now-deleted tweet) that he has been playing with a lisfranc injury to his foot. The injury is known to cause players to lose explosiveness.
Whatever the case may be, the Bucs’ running game needs help, and Bijan Robinson could be the answer. The Tucson, Arizona native would likely emerge as an impact player immediately in Tampa Bay. He would take pressure off the quarterback, whether it’s Brady (if he doesn’t retire or sign with another team) or someone else.
Robinson would've easily been a top-10 pick a few years ago. But nowadays, the running back position isn't as valuable as it used to be with the league more focused on passing.
If Bijan Robinson is still available when it’s the Buccaneers' time to pick, the team needs to scoop him up without any hesitation.
