Prospect Bio

Brian Robinson Jr. was a four-star recruit coming out of Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. There, he carried the ball 161 times for 990 yards and 18 touchdowns in his senior season. He received offers from Jacksonville State, Georgia, Auburn, and Cincinnati before committing to Alabama. When he arrived, Robinson was buried on the depth chart behind Josh Jacobs, Damien Harris, and Najee Harris. Even after Jacobs and Damien Harris departed for the NFL in 2019, Robinson remained stuck behind Najee Harris for two more seasons. After four seasons of limited action, he had accumulated 1,361 yards and 15 touchdowns on 274 carries. Finally free of significant competition in 2021, Robinson took advantage of the opportunity. He rushed 270 times for 1,336 yards and 14 touchdowns. That included an incredible 170-yard, four-touchdown performance against Ole Miss. He added 36 receptions for 296 yards and two scores. It was enough to earn first-team All-SEC honors.

College Stats

Brian Robinson College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference

Positives

+Size

+106.9 (85th-percentile) Speed Score (PlayerProfiler.com)

+Great in short-yardage situations 

+Violent running style

+3rd in missed tackles forced in 2021 (PFF)

+7th in carries if 15+ yards (PFF)

+35 receptions in 2021; 9% reception share

Negatives

-First four seasons combined for: 274 carries, 1,361 yards, and 15 touchdowns

-110.5 (15th-percentile) Burst Score (PlayerProfiler.com)

-Sometimes indecisive 

-Only had one year as the featured back

-Not a big-play threat

-Pass protection

Highlight Reel

Comparable Player: Chris Carson

NFL Draft Projection: Second Round

Yards Per-Formance Grade: 65.6

Bottom Line:

Brian Robinson waited in line for a long time at Alabama. He finally got his shot to be the guy in year five and took full advantage. He showed he’s a tough inside runner who thrives in short-yardage and goal line opportunities. He’s a big, powerful back who has no trouble shaking off would-be tacklers. He won’t out-run many NFL defenders and will need to improve in pass protection if he ever dreams of becoming more than a two-down back. The good news is, he proved he can be a capable pass-catcher with 35 receptions in 2021. As an Alabama guy, we can expect Robinson to find pretty decent draft capital—likely in late round two. His career trajectory will likely be somewhere in between Damien Harris and Najee Harris. In one quarterback dynasty leagues, he should become a consideration in the back-end of the first round.

Post Draft Analysis:

It was curious to see the Commanders be so active with a lot of running back visits during the pre-draft process. It tells me they maybe don’t love Antonio Gibson as much as the fantasy community does. That opens the door for third-round pick Brian Robinson to eat into the early downs work in Washington.

Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN

Yards Per-Formance Prospect Grade