Why Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were 1st-round NFL draft picks

Something unexpected happened in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Well, a lot of unexpected things happened to be clear. After the Carolina Panthers made Alabama passer Bryce Young the first-overall selection, it seemed like the NFL threw out the script and started ad-libbing. Or, at least they threw out the script we all thought the league was working off of.

Instead of drafting a defensive player, or even trading out, the Houston Texans indeed drafted a quarterback, and it was C.J. Stroud. Houston then traded up to No. 3, adding Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson Jr.

But perhaps the most unexpected part of the night?

A pair of running backs.

No, not just inside the first round, as that was something various insiders were hinting at as the draft approached, most notably Peter Schrager of the NFL Network. But a pair of running backs inside the top 12 picks.

First was Bijan Robinson, who came off the board at No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons. Despite late buzz that Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama was RB1 on some boards, Robinson ended up the first running back selected.

Joining him in the first round was indeed Gibbs, but his landing spot was a bit of a surprise. He came off the board at No. 12 to ... the Detroit Lions. After adding David Montgomery in free agency, the Lions added another running back to their offense.

Are running backs ... back?

Maybe, maybe not.

What made both Robinson and Gibbs perhaps ideal for the modern NFL is what both can do in the passing game. Both players can create explosive plays in the passing game, whether operating out of the backfield, or even split to the outside.

For example, here is Robinson running a post route out of the slot against Iowa State, a play that was used over and over again to highlight how he can contribute to an NFL offense:

Robinson is working against a cornerback here, but is able to get inside leverage against the defender before fully extending to snare a high throw, creating an explosive play for the Longhorns in the passing game.

But where Robinson might be most dangerous in the passing game is when he works out of the backfield, and this might be critical to his NFL success. When Texas was able to get him matched up in the vertical passing game against linebackers, or even safeties, big plays often followed. Take this touchdown against Oklahoma State, as he runs a wheel route out of the backfield on a mesh concept:

The safety tries to pick Robinson up out of the backfield, but takes a poor angle. With that advantage Robinson explodes downfield, separating from the coverage and turning an eight-yard throw into a 41-yard touchdown for the Longhorns.

Or consider this play against West Virginia, where he just leaks out to the left flat as an outlet for the quarterback:

When you can turn short throws, and checkdowns, into explosive plays in the passing game, you add value to an NFL offense.

The same goes for Gibbs, who was also a weapon in the passing game for Young and Alabama. The Crimson Tide could put him in the slot, like we saw with Robinson, and let him win on routes and create opportunities for his quarterback. This big play against Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl is one such example:

Gibbs gets open off the line, making himself available for Young. After the quarterback handles some pressure in the pocket he finds Gibbs streaking across the formation, and hits him in stride. Another short throw, but another explosive play in the passing game, run through a running back.

As noted with Robinson, the ability to win mismatches as a running back in the passing game is huge for Gibbs. In talking with NFL and college coaches over the years, they all tell me the same thing: Football, particularly the higher up you go, is a matchup-based game. Schemes can help, but as the saying goes, “it’s about the Jimmies and Joes, and not the Xs and Os.”

Here is an example of Gibbs winning on a route out of the backfield, matched up against a linebacker. A simple angle option route, a quick cut to the inside, and another explosive play in the passing game for the Crimson Tide:

Finally, we looked at an example of Robinson creating an explosive play as a checkdown option. So, here is Gibbs doing the same against Tennessee. Watch as he uses his burst in the open field to make two defenders miss, and create a 30-yard gain on a throw five yards behind the line of scrimmage:

That burst in the open field — erasing the first defender’s angle and then accelerating away from the second — is special.

Now, both Robinson and Gibbs offer special traits when the ball stays on the ground. Robinson was among the leaders in all of college football with 1,006 yards after contact according to Sports Info Solutions, second only to Carson Steele of Ball State. His power, contact balance, and play strength make him a tough running back to bring down in the open field.

For Gibbs, it is that burst and explosiveness, which makes him extremely effective on outside runs, particularly outside zone designs. According to SIS Gibbs racked up 275 yards on outside zone plays last season, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt. That will certainly work for the Lions. As a pure running back he might make an ideal companion to David Montgomery, giving the Lions a bit of a “Mr. Inside/Mr. Outside” combination.

But make no mistake, what both offer in the passing game is a huge reason they were drafted as early as they were on Thursday night.

Perhaps running backs are, indeed, back?