Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft: Cowboys Land a Longhorn

The Bleacher Nation NFL 2023 Mock Draft will be a running mock draft that spans between now and round one of the NFL Draft. Each of the 31 picks (Miami forfeited their first-round pick due to tampering) will get a dedicated post. Here’s how it’ll work:

The Cowboys are on the clock in the Bleacher Nation NFL Mock Draft …

The Pick Is In

RB Bijan Robinson — Texas

The Fit

Dallas said goodbye to Ezekiel Elliott during free agency. Tony Pollard is coming off of a broken leg and will play 2023 under the franchise tag. Some believe that Pollard is better served as a complementary back. So, if the Cowboys could land Bijan Robinson here, that would give Dallas that two-headed threat in the backfield. It would also provide them some insurance if Pollard doesn’t recover well from his injury.

Scouting Report

Robinson is a three-down back that is equally explosive and elusive. He packs an explosive punch into his 5-foot-10, 215-pound frame. His 40-yard dash, broad jump, and vertical jump are all north of the 80th percentile.

Robinson won the Doak Walker Award and consensus All-American honors after rushing for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2022. He hit the 100-yard mark in nine of his final 10 games and led the country with 104 missed tackles forced. He has knee-bending elusiveness, making it look like you’re controlling a create-a-player on Madden NFL. 

Robinson racked up 3,410 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground while adding 60 catches for 805 yards and another eight scores through the air. 

Final Thoughts: Bijan Robinson is a top-five talent in this draft. Still, the running back position isn’t valued highly enough to see him go inside the top five or maybe even the top ten. If Robinson falls into the bottom third, the Cowboys wouldn’t be able to pass up on him, especially with Zeke’s days in Dallas over.

Bleacher Nation’s 2023 NFL Mock Draft

1. Carolina Panthers (via CHI) — QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State
2. Houston Texans — QB Bryce Young, Alabama
3. Arizona Cardinals — EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
4. Indianapolis Colts — QB Anthony Richardson, Florida
5. Seattle Seahawks (via DEN) — DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
6. Detroit Lions (via LAR) — EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
7. Las Vegas Raiders — QB Will Levis, Kentucky
8. Atlanta Falcons — EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson
9. Chicago Bears (via CAR) — CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
10. Philadelphia Eagles (via NO) — DT Calijah Kancey, Pitt
11. Tennessee Titans — T Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
12. Houston Texans (via CLE) — WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
13. New York Jets — T Broderick Jones, Georgia
14. New England Patriots — CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
15. Green Bay Packers — TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
16. Washington Commanders — CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
17. Pittsburgh Steelers — CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
18. Detroit Lions — CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — S Brian Branch, Alabama
20. Seattle Seahawks — EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
21. Los Angeles Chargers — WR Jordan Addison, USC
22. Baltimore Ravens — WR Zay Flowers, Boston College
23. Minnesota Vikings — QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
24. Jacksonville Jaguars — T/G Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
25. New York Giants — WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
26. Dallas Cowboys — RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Cincinnati Bengals
29. New Orleans Saints (via SF)
30. Philadelphia Eagles
31. Kansas City Chiefs