Texas RB Bijan Robinson could break recent draft trend

Kiper said for Robinson that "maybe" he'd break his rule of avoiding running backs in the first round if he were a general manager. McShay, on the other hand, felt more strongly. 

"There's exceptions to the rule," McShay said. "And Bijan is one exception to the rule. Saquon was too." 

Kiper called Robinson a first-round talent, adding that he believes the running back is "top-ten" caliber. Meanwhile, McShay compared Robinson to Barkley, pointing out his ability to pass protect and be a pass-catching threat out of the backfield on top of his dynamic rushing skills. 

Last season with the Longhorns, Robinson led the Big 12 in rushing yards (1,580) and touchdowns (18). Robinson earned consensus All-American honors and won the 2023 Doak Walker Award, given to college football's most outstanding running back. 

No matter the talent level, inevitably, running backs fall in the draft in today's NFL. While Robinson may be worthy of going higher, Kiper believes he'll still hear his name called late in the first round. In his latest mock draft, Kiper has the Dallas Cowboys selecting Robinson with the 26th pick in April's draft.

Robinson would be quite the get for the Cowboys, who have an uncertain future in the backfield. Ezekiel Elliott is aging quickly, and Tony Pollard is eligible for free agency this offseason. 

Over the weekend, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Cowboys would consider using the franchise tag on Pollard. However, Pollard suffered a high-ankle sprain and broken left fibula in the Cowboys' divisional-round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. After undergoing surgery, Pollard has three to six months of recovery ahead, which delivers a significant blow to his hopes of landing a big deal in free agency. 

Elliott's downswing and Pollard's injury could make Dallas the perfect destination for Robinson if he falls that far, like Breece Hall and Kenneth Walker III did last April.