The Chicago Bears have kept their options open for the 2023 draft. Free agency has helped them erase some critical needs. Still, GM Ryan Poles appears destined to target one of two positions with the 9th overall pick next month. It will either be an offensive tackle or a defensive lineman. That makes sense. Both areas were massive weaknesses last season. Improving them should improve the team. However, not everybody thinks Poles will go in that direction. One thinks the Bears may look to secure the next incarnation of Christian McCaffrey.
Chad Reuter of NFL.com is one of their top draft analysts. In his latest mock draft, he has the Bears bucking conventional wisdom to take the best running back prospect seen by evaluators in years. That is Bijan Robinson of Texas.
“I don’t blame teams avoiding running backs in the top 10 because of how many injuries occur at the position — but the Bears could make an exception for Robinson. His combination of power, speed, shiftiness and receiving ability make him a potential star in the Christian McCaffrey mold. Signing D’Onta Foreman does not take the Bears out of the running for this all-around offensive threat.”
Robinson was a nightmare with the Longhorns. He had the vision, footwork, and acceleration to gash defenses on the ground. Then he’d use his speed and soft hands to make them pay in the passing game. He amassed over 6600 total yards and 41 touchdowns in three seasons. The guy is the poster child of a modern NFL featured back.
Robinson might be tougher than Christian McCaffrey.
That is to say, he’s more durable. McCaffrey’s problem in the NFL has been health. Staying on the field was a big issue toward the end of his run in Carolina. Robinson showed he could handle a heavy workload and only seemed to get stronger as games progress. The selling point from Chicago’s perspective is obvious. Their greatest success last season came on the ground. Justin Fields was at his most dangerous when the Bears were able to run the ball with Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery.
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Robinson is more dangerous than both of them combined. So if the Bears aim to stay committed to their run-first approach, then this idea makes sense. Still, spending a top-10 pick on a running back has gone out of style these days. The position doesn’t have great staying power. Since 2000, only two names taken in the top 10 have ended up starting at least a decade in the NFL. That was LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson. Nobody has come close since then. Christian McCaffrey himself has only started four due to the aforementioned injuries.
This would be a massive gamble by the Bears. Besides, it didn’t end well the last time they swung that big on a running back from Texas.
Intriguing.
Lambert, just because an idiot wants his “moment of fame” by saying something outlandish doesn’t mean you have to acknowledge it. THE BEARS HAD THE NUMBER ONE RUSHING ATTACK IN THE NFL AND THEY ARE GOING TO USE THEIR 1ST ROUND PICK ON A RUNNING BACK?! C’MON MAN! WITH GLARING NEEDS AT DT, OT, DE AND CB?!! Why don’t you spend more time researching topics of substance rather than writing useless articles like this one.
The greater the talent on the O-line is less the need for elite RB talent. Good RB’s can be very effective with an excellent line.
Ya, unfortunately, not the right offseason for a 1st round luxury pick….
Better luck next year when we’d have a 2nd swing in 1st for a RB + the year to evaluate Herbert/D’Onta….
There are too many good running backs that will be available outside of the first two rounds. Investing in the trenches in the wisest and best way to go. The only non-front 7 player I would take is Smith-Njigba, but other than him, avoid a running back. Fields needs to be protected and the Bears have to take down opposing quaterbacks. Poles will draft the right player though, he is too calculated and smart to not draft well. Poles also could trade down, the Bears need 10 players, not one or two.