It’s an underrated storyline for the Washington Commanders this offseason, but the franchise has really improved the depth across the board at most positions. One position that hasn’t gotten much notice for its improvement is the running back position.
On the surface, the only major move they had at the position was to draft Chris Rodriguez Jr. in the sixth round of this past draft. However, that one move plus the anticipated improvement of the top two running backs on the depth chart will now give the Washington Commanders a three-headed monster out of the backfield.
Washington Commanders running backs: No. 1 Brian Robinson Jr.
Brian Robinson Jr. has one of the most unique comeback stories in the NFL. He was shot in the leg in an attempted robbery before he could even take his first NFL snap. Despite that, the Alabama product was able to recover and play in 12 games during his rookie year.
The 6-foot-1 and 228-pound back was able to have a strong rookie season despite that setback. He averaged 3.9 yards per carry. He had 205 runs and tallied a total of 797 yards in his first season. Now he did only have two touchdowns and sadly two fumbles.
One area he can improve is his pass-catching. The good news is that he caught about 75.0 percent of the passes thrown to him, the bad news is he was only targeted 12 times. If he wants to be a more complete back, he will have to total more than 60 yards receiving in a season.
With a full offseason to get his leg even healthier and to improve, Robinson could easily become a three-down back. Luckily, the Commanders don’t need him to be that. Being a good first and second down back is what all Washington needs.