The Philadelphia Eagles look to be doing some serious in-person homework on the top running back in the 2023 NFL Draft.
This has been an interesting off-season for the Philadelphia Eagles. The team entered the final months of winter licking their wounds after coming up just short of winning a Super Bowl title in February. But if they hoped for a trip back they were going to have to re-sign several big-time free agents set to hit the open market.
To some Eagles fans’ dismay, the team ended up losing star lineman Javon Hargrove and safety CJ Gardner-Johnson. Fortunately, they did re-sign James Bradberry and avoided needing to make Pro Bowler Darius Slay a cap casualty. However, while the defense was damaged in NFL free agency, the offense took a major hit as well.
Related: NFL mock draft 2023 – Latest Round 1 projection for 2023 NFL Draft
Last week, Pro Bowl running back Miles Sanders tested the market and found a willing buyer in the Carolina Panthers. The Philadelphia Eagles did add veteran back Rashaad Penny from the Seattle Seahawks, but with Sanders’ departure, the team’s vaunted run game took a serious blow this month.
Philadelphia Eagles record (2022): 14-3, first place in NFC East
Well, it seems that maybe Penny won’t be the only response to the hole left by Sanders leaving in free agency. On Monday night, Bijan Robinson — the top running back in the 2023 NFL Draft — posted an Instagram story of an image that looked to be the Eagles arena, Lincoln Financial Field.
On Tuesday morning, NFL Media league insider Mike Garafolo reported that Robinson was indeed in Philadelphia for a “pre-draft visit.”
Bijan Robinson is by far the best back in this year’s class, and our latest NFL Mock Draft has the Texas star being taken at 19 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Philadelphia Eagles will be on the clock 11 picks later at 30.
While it would be out of character for general manager Howie Roseman to take an RB so high, with the team set at many other positions, maintaining their running excellence in 2023 with the best back in the NFL Draft does make a lot of sense.
Our own Andrew Buller-Russ explained Robinson’s talents in a recent pre-Draft profile:
Robinson wins with speed and power, and as just about every defender in the Big 12 can tell you, he’s incredibly hard to tackle. Robinson blazed a 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, which is a respectable time for a starting running back. He’s not going to be among the fastest backs in the NFL, but he can still break off plenty of long runs that end in six points.
Unlike many other great rushers, Robinson also adds value as a pass-catcher. He didn’t drop a single pass last season and won’t have to be subbed out on obvious passing situations in the pros. In fact, Robinson could become the quarterback’s best friend as a checkdown option when pressure mounts. Or, as the clip below shows, as a deep outlet on a wheel route picking up large chunks of yardage.