NFL Rumors: Patriots ‘intrigued’ by Bjian Robinson, but drafting him is nuts

Let’s be blunt, if the New England Patriots draft a running back in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Bill Belichick would officially be out of his mind.

With the recent reports that the Patriots are highly “intrigued” by Texas running back Bijan Robinson, it is a possibility Belichick is fascinated enough to draft another running back to pair with Rhamondre Stevenson now that Damien Harris has moved on to the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills.

This is not about the Patriots drafting another running back, it’s about where they select that running back.  With the teams need at tackle and once again wide receiver, drafting Robinson at No. 14 or even trading back and snagging him later in the first round would not be in the best interest in the team.

But, in Bill We Trust right?

Patriots selecting a running back in the first round is intriguing if…

If he believes he can get players to fill the need at tackle, wide receiver and even cornerback in the later rounds, Belichick selecting the best running back in the draft could be something fans eventually get hyped about.  As Jeff Howe of the Athletic reports, adding Robinson could or would be more about building the offense around Stevenson.

"“[The Patriots] opted for more explosion in the slot with JuJu Smith-Schuster over Jackobi Meyers, and they traded tight end Jonnu Smith before adding Mike Gesicki,” Howe wrote, via Boston.com.  “They’re building the running game around Rhamondre Stevenson and have quietly shown interest in adding another blue0chip back in the draft.”"

At 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, Robinson is indeed an intriguing playmaker in the offense.  Rushing for 1,580 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, the 2022 Doak Walker Award winner would indeed give the Patriots that two-headed monster they showed glimpses of having with Stevenson and Harris.

Although James Robinson could be that player if his health is back to 100 percent, adding the younger Robinson to the mix would add that explosive type offense the Patriots are looking for, especially with Stephenson and both Robinson running backs able to catch the ball out of the backfield.  Obviously, that would help Mac Jones in the offense and not put too much emphasis on Stevenson who was a workhorse in 2022.

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The opposing view is that the Patriots do have more pressing needs, especially at that No. 14 spot (if they keep the pick).  With James Robinson, Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong Jr, the team has enough at the running back position, although no team can have enough running backs.

Then, there is also the reality that the Patriots will eventually have to pay Stevenson, unless by adding Bijan Robison, Belichick is already thinking ahead.

So, obviously there are pros and cons to the New England Patriots potentially selecting a running back in the first round, but this is a position the team can fill that void later in the draft or with the players they currently have on the team.

To end, selecting a talent like Bijan Robison would not be the crazy part, going running back with other glaring positional needs would be the crazy.  Now, if Robinson slipped to the second round somehow, they would be crazy not to nab him.