NFL Draft Betting: How Early Will Bijan Robinson Be Selected?

Each year, there are some NFL Draft prospects that outshine the competition at their respective positions.

Since his first season with the Clemson Tigers, Trevor Lawrence seemed to be locked in as the first overall pick and top quarterback of the 2021 NFL Draft.

There were few, if any, doubts about Saquon Barkley being the first running back drafted in 2018.

While it can feel like there are very few certainties for the 2023 NFL Draft (which kicks off Thursday, April 27th at 8:00 p.m. Eastern), one prospect has stood head and shoulders above his peers at his respective position since the pre-draft process began: Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson.

Bijan Robinson NFL Draft Profile

Robinson wowed at the NFL combine by posting an 87th-percentile 4.46-second 40-yard dash at 5’11” and 215 pounds and finished his collegiate career with 4,215 scrimmage yards and 41 touchdowns over three seasons.

No running back forced opposing defenders to miss more tackles than Robinson in 2022, with his elite mark of 104 such plays setting the record in Pro Football Focus’ database.

Robinson is close to a no-doubt first-round talent, grading as NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s third-best player in the entire class, but it remains to be seen just how highly he will be drafted come Thursday.

The line for Robinson’s draft position is currently set at 12.5, according to the NFL Draft odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, with the over coming in at +185 odds and the under sitting at -250.

Robinson is also +9500 to be drafted in the top five picks of the draft, ranking as the 11th-best odds in the class among those in the market.

Historical Landscape for Early-Round Running Backs

The NFL landscape has changed dramatically for running backs in recent years.

In the four years since Saquon Barkley went with the second overall pick, just four running backs have been drafted in the first round.

In the meantime, we’ve seen elite prospects such as Jonathan Taylor, Breece Hall, and Kenneth Walker III each fall to the second rounds of their respective drafts.

Bijan Robinson Potential Landing Spots

Of the six teams with the highest odds of drafting Robinson, the Atlanta Falcons (+185), the Tennessee Titans (+1400), and the Houston Texans (+1000) all have picks that precede Robinson’s line at pick 12.5.

Other possible landing spots include the Washington Commanders (+1000) at pick 16, the Philadelphia Eagles (+700) at pick 30, and the Dallas Cowboys (+1100) with pick 26.

The demand for running backs in the NFL has been at a low in recent years, but Robinson’s outstanding collegiate resume and spectacular playmaking ability as a rusher and as a receiver have coaxed some of the top draft analysts in the game into ranking him as one of the very best players in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Will Robinson’s talent be enough to vault him into the top 12 picks of tonight’s draft? Or will the league’s recent concerns with positional value depress his value past that point?

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.