Eagles Draft Preview: The Running Backs

Expect the Eagles to add at the position but temper the excitement over Bijan Robinson.

PHILADELPHIA - Running back is a hot-button issue surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles leading up to the draft. Lead back Miles Sanders left for the Carolina Panthers in free agency and this year’s class features a true blue-chip prospect at the position in Bijan Robinson.

From a pure talent perspective, Robinson is easily one of the top-10 players in the draft and there is a more than solid chance that the former University of Texas star will be on the board when it’s Howie Roseman’s first turn at No. 10 overall.

Few who understand Roseman’s mindset believe the NFL's Executive of the Year will jump, however, and his foundational principles of building up front seem to be at the center of the franchise’s plan with the defensive line serving as Plan A and offensive line or cornerback likely the top contingency early.

Of the Eagles’ publicized pre-draft visits, Robinson was one of the few outliers among all the linemen and cornerbacks brought into the NovaCare Complex but the savvy understand that’s a smoke screen for a potential trade down.

Those dreaming about Robinson in midnight green are falling for a fantasy football or video game mindset, not understanding that the Eagles’ vaunted running game is built upon a simple plus-one math equation, along with a top-tier offensive line.

And the plus one is going to exist as long as Jalen Hurts is running the offense.

“They have a quarterback who makes the job easier 10 times easier for the running backs,” a former Eagles’ scouting executive told SI.com’s Eagles Today.

Philadelphia does need to replace the production of Sanders, who rushed for a career-high 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns last season but there are many avenues to do that and a younger cost-effective back is expected to be added at some point in the process.

In-house the top option is the extremely talented but injury-prone Rashaad Penny, a one-time first-round pick by Seattle in 2018 who has proven he can produce when on the field.

The problem with Penny is rarely on the field having missed 32 of his last 50 games with the Seahawks, which is why the Eagles got him for $600,000 guaranteed in free agency despite the fact that the intoxicating combination of power and speed averaged well over 6.0 yards per carry behind a pedestrian offensive line over the 15 games he did play in 2021 and 2022.

Philadelphia was buoyed by the late-season run of Kenny Gainwell after a disappointing regular season, Gainwell was the team’s best back in the postseason, recording three of his top four Pro Football Focus grades on the biggest stage so the hope is something clicked for a now third-year back.

Long-term, though, Gainwell is still best-suited for the third-down and hurry-up roles as a pass catcher out of the backfield and that is also not as important a role for the Eagles because of Hurts’ ability to extend plays.

Backup and noted New York Giants-killer Boston Scott was brought back on a one-year deal and will slot in as the change-of-pace option again. Dependable is the best way to describe Scott's game.

Also, don’t sleep on Trey Sermon, a third-round pick by San Francisco in 2021, who got lost in a deep backfield for the 49ers. The Eagles claimed Sermon on waivers before Week 1 last season and he essentially got a redshirt year and a chance to compete for an increased role this summer.

Former Oklahoma star Kennedy Brooks is also back as a developmental prospect.

DRAFT DAY BOTTOM LINE: The Eagles can’t count on the health of Penny so securing a back in what’s been described as a deep class will probably enter the conversation by the third round.

EAGLES RB DEPTH CHART:

RB1 Rashaad Penny; RB2 Kenny Gainwell; RB3 Boston Scott; RB4 Trey Sermon; RB5 Kennedy Brooks

EAGLES TODAY TOP 10 (we asked three former NFL scouts for their top 10 at the position and came up with a cumulative list):

1. Bijan Robinson, Texas

2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

3. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA

4. Tyjae Spears, Tulane

5. Devon Achane, Texas A&M

6. Roschon Johnson, Texas

7. Tank Bigsby, Auburn

8. Israel Abanikanda, Pitt

9. Eric Gray, Oklahoma

10. Zach Evans, Ole Miss

Sleeper - Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State

Boom or Bust - Devon Achane, Texas A&M

BUILDING THE PERFECT RB

Vision - Roschon Johnson, Texas - A former quarterback turned running back, Johnson senses things inside the tackles much like former Eagles’ big back Jordan Howard.

Power - Bijan Robinson, Texas - Robinson was credited with breaking 37 tackles and averaged nearly 4.0 yards (3.9 to be exact) AFTER contact.

Speed - Devin Achane, Texas A&M - Achane lacks size at 5-foot-8 and 188 pounds but he is a burner, running a 4.32 in the 40.

Pass Pro - Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State - More of a do-it-all h-back, Luepke has blocked in-line so he’ll be able to handle blitzes better than most.

Receiving - Jahmyr Gibbs Alabama - Gibbs gets the nod over Robinson as the best receiver because he comes across as a little more natural and comfortable in that phase.

Patience - Eric Gray, Oklahoma - No one in the class sets up defenders like Gray but he lacks the explosiveness to be more than a chain mover.

PRE-DRAFT PROCESS NOTES:

-The Eagles used a top-30 visit on Robinson, likely as a smoke screen to encourage others who may want the blue-chipper at No. 10. They also looked at Harvard running back Aidan Borguet, a South Jersey native who was All-Ivy League, during their local pro day. The other due diligence has been under wraps.

Eagles Potential Picks:

Day 1 - None.

-Anyone paying attention to Howie Roseman at all over the years understands why.

Day 2 - Roschon Johnson; Israel Abanikanda

-It starts here for Philadelphia with the bigger backs who can handle 15-or-so carries each and every week being the more likely path and the third round being the more likely spot which could rule out Charbonnet.

Day 3 - Kendre Miller, TCU; Kenny McIntosh, Georgia; Deneric Prince, Tulsa

-The Eagles start the process with a donut between the third and seventh rounds but the belief is that Roseman will add. The last time the Eagles waited until Day 3 to snare a running back in what was described as a deep class at the position it was Donnel Pumphrey so obviously evaluation is key here.

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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen