Getty Barry Sanders during the 2023 NFL Honors.
The Detroit Lions are counting down until the 2023 NFL draft, and as they do, excitement is building regarding what decisions the team will make.
Will running back be one of the positions on the team’s list for this year, and if so, would Bijan Robinson of Texas be a fit? Former Lions running back Barry Sanders seems to think that could be the case.
Sanders was on Twitter and reacted to an interview Robinson was giving with Good Morning Football. As Sanders said after hearing Robinson speak, he would love to see him land with the Lions and appreciates the respect he shows.
“I shouldn’t say where I would love to see him go… He is a very talented prospect, and I am always honored when a someone has found inspiration in what I did. Good luck Bijan Robinson, and maybe we will see you in Detroit,” Sanders tweeted.
Robinson has praised Sanders in the past, and many mocks recently have drawn a potential connection between Robinson and the Lions. If he did land in Detroit, it’s clear it would be something Robinson would embrace given his reverence for Sanders historically.
Bijan Robinson Praised Barry Sanders at NFL Combine
Clearly, there is a major affinity between Sanders and Robinson, and the respect is a two-way street. The young running back has been open about sharing his affinity for Sanders plenty of times in the past.
Most notably, he did so when speaking at the NFL combine on Saturday, March 4. Robinson was asked what running back he watched closest growing up and Sanders was the answer. He took the analysis a step further, though, as Luke Sawhook showed in a clip on Twitter.
Bijan Robinson on trying to model his game after Barry Sanders
“I watch him probably every other day.”
“I watch him probably every other day because I am always trying to mimic his moves. He was so good at doing the things you couldn’t do. He was a guy where every single time he touched the ball, you were standing up trying to see what he was going to do. There’s some full games on YouTube. I would watch them all just to see every single run that he did. He was the most exciting player I’ve seen on the highlight tape. If God could bless me to be at that caliber one day, that would be amazing,” Robinson said as shown in Sawhook’s clip.
Robinson isn’t the first running back to praise Sanders, of course, but the thoughtful way he did it is certainly eye-opening. Not only does Robinson try to re-create some of the moves, but he has reverence for Sanders and his standing in the game, even as he has come into his own decades after Sanders has retired.
That’s impressive for a young running back, and notable for the Lions, who could be in need of such a player during the draft.
Bijan Robinson, Lions Could Be Match
Whether the Lions need a running back or not has been a big topic of conversation ahead of the draft. If the team elects to take the gamble, Robinson could be the answer to their needs early on.
The runner is seen as the top prospect at his position in the draft. He could be on the board for both of Detroit’s first-round selections, and he could be a player the Lions look at closely given their needs at running back for the future. Already, some have mocked him to Detroit even in spite of the team’s defensive needs.
Speaking to the media this week, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes explained that he isn’t going to be scared away from drafting a runner in the first-round because he has seen it work before. Ari Meirov tweeted about the quote.
#Lions GM Brad Holmes on taking a RB with a high pick: “I understand the narrative. … I don’t think anyone said in ‘16, ‘17 or ‘18, ‘Oh man the Rams took Todd Gurley at 10.’ He was just a really good RB and we didn’t bat an eye.”
(Holmes was with the Rams when they took Gurley)
“Lions GM Brad Holmes on taking a RB with a high pick: “I understand the narrative. … I don’t think anyone said in ‘16, ‘17 or ‘18, ‘Oh man the Rams took Todd Gurley at 10.’ He was just a really good RB and we didn’t bat an eye.” (Holmes was with the Rams when they took Gurley),” Meirov tweeted.
Robinson put up 3,410 yards and 60 touchdowns on the ground in college. That’s to go with 805 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his career catching the ball. It’s clear he is capable of making some big plays on the field, and could be in the mold of the big-time back Holmes could be thinking about.
Detroit brought David Montgomery into the mix, and he will be a dynamic weapon. They will also run it back with D’Andre Swift next season as well. With that said, the backfield could have questions beyond 2024.
That could be where Robinson enters the mix for a team like the Lions, who could stash him and then unleash him. It’s clear Sanders wouldn’t hate that idea at all.