The UKHTTC Roster Lowdown Part 2: Running Backs

The UKHTTC Roster Lowdown Part 2: the Running Backs

Over the coming weeks, UKHTTC founder, Christian Burt, will take a positional group each blog and give a broad overview and grade of their NFL win-level readiness and what could go right or wrong.

Welcome to blog two of The Roster Lowdown as we focus first on those guys who will be hitting the holes and gaining those tough yards: the running backs in burgundy & gold.

Running backs

Going into the 2023 season do the Commanders have a fear-inducing stud RB? Perhaps not.

They do, however, have an intriguing RB1 and RB2 duo and this will be led by the second-year Alabama recruit, Brian Robinson Jnr.

It was a devastating start to life in D.C for Robinson Jnr in 2022. Shot in the leg in an attempted robbery just two weeks before the season start, it was a miracle that Brian was back and suited up for Week 5.

The character and sheer will of the #8 in Washington is beyond question. The rookie stats (797 yards) were solid for Robinson Jnr and whilst not an explosive TD machine, there is hope that, with an undisturbed pre-season programme and apparent full recovery from his nightmare injury, that Brian could be one to watch in the NFL in 2023.

Looking now at the RB2, Antonio Gibson, the converted WR from Memphis State has flashed game changing ability in Washington.

In 2022, he had just one fumble (Gibson has 9 career total fumbles) and the lingering question marks regarding ball protection ability seem to have been soundly addressed as Gibson better demonstrated understanding of the nuances of the position.

Drafted mainly due to his athleticism, in his own mind is Gibson now a true RB? Under the tutelage of Eric Bieniemy, a former NFL RB, we might see a true breakout season for Antonio and a salary cap dilemma for the front office in 2024.

My own expectation for a drafted RB in 2023 would have been a third-down specialist in the mould of Chris Thompson or JD McKissic. Instead, the Commanders took Chris Rodriquez Jnr from Kentucky, for whom the perception is that of a power back rather than an elusive Thompson or McKissic.

Interestingly, former Washington GM Scot McCloughan absolutely loved the sixth-round pick of Rodriguez Jnr (and Scot certainly hit a home run when he selected Frank Gore many years ago).

In conclusion then, how does the RB group rank NFL wide?

The word here is potential, but with some caution. Neither Robinson Jnr nor Gibson had an average above 4 yards per carry in 2022.

UKHTTR cannot put the RB group in the top tier of the National Football League, but there are huge elevation possibilities with Bieniemy around in D.C.

A functioning RB core will be essential to an offense that will likely be running out each Sunday with a guy under centre (Sam Howell) who has just the single career start.

Mild optimism would be my summary take of the RB group going into 2023.