Can Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. be a top-10 NFL running back?
ESPN released its annual rankings of each position’s top 10 players recently, beginning with running back. ESPN spoke with coaches, scouts and executives to determine the list. Robinson missed out on the top 10, which was not a surprise, but he landed in the “also receiving votes” category.
Robinson is entering a critical fourth season. His rookie season was impacted when he suffered a gunshot wound just before the season opener and missed five total games. Robinson did appear in 12 games, rushing for 797 yards and two touchdowns. He followed that up by starting 15 games in 2023, rushing for 733 yards (4.1 YPC) and five touchdowns. He also caught four touchdown passes. Washington’s running game struggled as a whole due to that season’s offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy.
Last season, Robinson had a fresh start, playing in 14 games (13 starts) for new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. He had career highs across the board: 799 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns and averaged 4.3 yards per attempt.
There was some disappointment with Washington’s running game outside of quarterback Jayden Daniels last season. The Commanders’ offensive line played surprisingly well for much of the season, but wore down late. Robinson’s production slipped throughout the year.
Washington upgraded the offensive line this offseason. While the Commanders did bring in a rookie running back, he’s not expected to challenge Robinson for the starting job right now. Robinson has a prime opportunity to have his best season. Kingsbury wants to run the ball and use Daniels less to run the football. Robinson runs with power and has surprising speed. His physical style makes him popular with the fans, and he now has a shot to go over 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career.
Austin Ekeler will have a role, but Robinson is atop the depth chart and has a chance to have his best career season in what happens to be a contract year.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Is Commanders’ Brian Robinson Jr. a top 10 NFL running back.