Cowboys Trade Up for RB Bijan Robinson? 'They Have it Easy!' - ESPN Analyst

Count ESPN analyst and NFL alum Ryan Clark among the growing party of those who want to see Bijan Robinson stay in Texas, namely through the Cowboys moving up via trade at the NFL Draft.

The eyes of Texas ... and the rest of the football world ... are on Bijan Robinson.

The positional analysis and debate around asset allocation Robinson's profession of running back has been a talking point around the draft conversation but many believe that the former Longhorn is well worth an early pick at the upcoming NFL Draft. Since Saquon Barkley went to the New York Giants with the second overall pick in 2018, rushers often have to wait to hear their names called. In the ensuing four drafts, the earliest a running back has gone is 24th, that honor going to both Josh Jacobs (2019) and Najee Harris (2021). 

Robinson, fresh off an illustrious career in Austin that saw him earn 4,215 yards and 41 scores from scrimmage, has been described as an athlete well worth the modern stigma that drafting a running back so early carries, with many believing he'll be drafted before the usual spot in recent years. The Dallas Cowboys currently holds the 26th overall pick in the opening round, their first of seven selections in Kansas City. 

Speaking on ESPN's "Get Up!", analyst and former NFL defender Ryan Clark believes the Cowboys shouldn't risk the possibility of Robinson falling to the latter stages of the first round, advocating that Dallas should do its utmost to obtain the rusher's services, calling for a move up the draft board.

"The Dallas Cowboys have it easy: let's move up and get Bijan Robinson!" Clark enthusiastically declares. "Go get the most dynamic back in this entire draft!"

Dallas' case to take a rusher with its debut pick might've taken a hit after retaining 2022 breakout Tony Pollard on a franchise tag, officially having him take over for tenured star Ezekiel Elliott. The transition of opinion on asset management when it comes to running backs could perhaps be perfectly personified by the arrivals of the respective stars: Elliott was the fourth pick of the 2016 draft while Pollard arrived in the 2019's fourth round. 

We're not sure what Clark means by "having it easy''; It might take Dallas' pick No. 26 plus a second-rounder (No. 58) to get anywhere near the top dozen picks, where Bijan seems likely to go.

So "easy'' might be the wrong word. Still ...

Clark believes that Pollard and Robinson can form a formidable duo for the 2023-24 season, giving embattled franchise quarterback Dak Prescott the star power security he needs to embark upon a recovery season after leading the league in interceptions. Should Pollard move on for a bigger, longer payday after playing the upcoming year on the franchise tag, Clark says that Robinson would save Dallas some time and headaches in an era where teams have often regretted bestowing blockbuster contracts to rushers. 

"When you get a running back in the first round, their production over the first five years, it automatically is 32 percent higher than anyone drafted in the second or later. The problem is giving them that second contract," Clark explains. "But if you go out and you get Bijan Robinson, you have a 1-2 punch along with Tony Pollard that Dak Prescott the presence he needs in the backfield to take that next step and get back to who he was two years ago."

Keeping Robinson in the Lone Star State has been a popular proposal amongst amateur and professional mock draft creators alike. Clark isn't even the first NFL alum-turned-ESPN analyst to suggest such a deal, with Robert Griffin III previously bringing up the idea. ... and really, a chorus of observers seeing a match.

Dallas has several other needs to fulfill in the coming draft but its recent success, at least in the regular season, has afforded them a position where they're capable and more or less permitted to go with the "best player available" approach later this month. Prior to Elliott, the last running back to receive a first-round call from the Cowboys was Felix Jones, the 22nd choice in 2008.

The 2023 NFL Draft will be held April 27-29.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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