3 reasons Cowboys drafting Bijan Robinson wouldn’t be a mistake

2. Jerry Jones taking a RB at 26 is far more palatable than in the Top 5

There is an undeniable stigma about drafting running backs in the first round given the way that modern NFL offenses have evolved. That’s especially true when you look back at teams like the Cowboys and Giants who selected Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley, respectively, in the Top 5 of the NFL Draft.

But Dallas isn’t picking inside the Top 5. After the loss to San Francisco, Jerry Jones and the front office won’t be on the clock until the No. 26 pick.

A big part of the stigma around drafting running backs early is passing on premium talent in order to fill a position that has become less important. Not only has Dallas still relied on their backs as offenses have evolved, though, but this is also a relatively shallow draft in terms of elite talent and the Cowboys are picking late enough that they wouldn’t be passing on players in the same way they did with someone like Jalen Ramsey in order to select Zeke in 2016.

There are other positions of need that the franchise needs to address, no doubt. But Robinson is one of the truly elite talents in this draft. If he’s there at No. 26, you could argue that he’s actually a great value there. On top of that, the players Dallas could draft in that spot to fill holes in the secondary, on the defensive line and otherwise aren’t much different in terms of talent and upside than player who will be available in the second round or maybe even the third round.

As such, the value conversation starts to look a bit more favorable as it pertains to running backs, Robinson in particular.