Todd McShay has the Eagles doing what with the fifth pick?
As the NFL regular season dwindles down and the playoffs approach, the teams with no playoff ambitions get something else to look forward to: the NFL Draft.
For countless sports heads, mock draft season is always a great time of the year. ESPN’s Todd McShay, one of the company’s senior NFL Draft analysts, is always in the limelight during NFL Draft season. But his most recent mock for the 2023 NFL Draft has the Eagles making a decision that has me rather confused.
In his latest mock draft, McShay has the Eagles selecting Bijan Robinson with the fifth overall pick. It’s a bit of a shocking decision to say the very least.
But this blurb from McShay explains his reasoning:
I know the “it’s too early for a running back” arguments are coming, and I agree 99% of the time,” McShay wrote in his latest mock draft for ESPN. “But why spend heavily on re-signing Sanders or bringing in another back in free agency when Robinson — who is an upgrade — is available here on a rookie deal? Robinson cruised to 1,580 yards and 18 TDs on the ground this season while breaking 91 tackles. Dropping him into the league’s best offense would be scary for every other team. Philly also has another first-rounder down the board.”
Quote via McShay’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft
Now, McShay’s thought process here isn’t actually too terrible. Robinson would definitely be an explosive addition and would do numbers in this Eagles offense. But that’s the very thing, there are a lot of different running backs that can look good in this offense.
The Eagles’ offensive line is arguably the best in the league and could make the life of any running back in the league much easier. I do agree with McShay that the Eagles shouldn’t spend big money to resign Miles Sanders. Still, I think drafting someone later or signing someone on a cheap deal is a more desirable option.
The value of running backs has plummeted in recent years, to the point where it’s a surprise to see one go in the first round. While Robinson is quite the talent, I don’t think he’s worthy of a fifth overall selection — especially with how replaceable the position is.
At the fifth pick, you have a chance to draft a player that can be a cornerstone on either side of the ball, or, in the case of the Eagles, trading the pick for a win-now kind of player — like they did with A.J. Brown last year. I think something along those lines would benefit the Eagles much better than taking Robinson with the fifth pick.
While the addition of Robinson would surely be exciting to watch as a fan of the Eagles, it just doesn’t seem like the right move. There are so many running backs that can flourish in this system and behind this offensive line, that it just doesn’t make sense to waste the draft capital on one.
And frankly, this is a pick that McShay should not have tried to justify. Maybe he’s doing it for reactions and clicks or maybe he just genuinely believes it. Regardless of the reasoning, I just hope he’s wrong and that the Eagles can look past the excitement that bringing in Robinson will create, which in this case has blinded Todd McShay.
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