Brian Robinson uncertainty could lead Commanders to dynamic NFL Draft prospect

When Josh Allen won NFL MVP, it marked the 12th consecutive season the award went to a quarterback. That seems to confirm something you already knew. This is far and away the most important position on an NFL team.

If I were to ask you what position has claimed the most NFL Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) awards over those same 12 years, would you guess quarterback?

If you did. you'd be wrong.

Three wide receivers have been named OPOY in the past dozen years. Four quarterbacks. The position with the most awards since 2013 is running back. That includes the last two winners and three out of the last five.

The demise of the running back position may have been prematurely reported.

JP Finlay from NBC Sports recently reported that the Washington Commanders could be looking to shake up their running back room heading into 2025. Last year, Brian Robinson Jr. was not able to sustain his strong early production, and Austin Ekeler went down with a concussion in the middle of the campaign. For most of the second half of 2024, the ground game was entirely dependent on quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Assuming both Robinson and Ekeler enter the 2025 season in good health, the Commanders do not need to make any significant moves. But perhaps they should.

Four of the top five offenses in the NFL in 2024 featured running backs drafted in the first or second round. Every single Pro Bowl runner in the NFC last season was a first-rounder. Every single one in the AFC was chosen in the second round. Saquon Barkley, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, was the secret ingredient the Philadelphia Eagles needed to go from contender to champion.

There is no reason for Washington to give up on Robinson at this point. Early last year, the third-rounder out of Alabama did what he has done throughout his career. He got tough yards in the middle and occasionally could break a bigger run on a sweep. He rarely went down with first contact and generally fell forward when hit. He has developed into a serviceable pass protector and a surprisingly effective pass catcher.

But Robinson is a grinder. He will not scare opposing defenses.

As the season went on, the Commanders' offensive line struggled against strong defensive fronts like those of the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The runner got hurt and his production took a tumble. With Ekeler also out, Washington got very little out of the running backs.

That must change in 2025, and the draft may provide what they need.

Commanders should seriously consider drafting RB TreVeyon Henderson

Though Washington would certainly be interested in adding Ashton Jeanty, the consensus top back in this year’s draft, he will probably be off the board by the time the Commanders pick. However, most draft projections have Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson not only available at No. 29 but possibly when Washington picks in the second round.

Adam Peters might decide to shore up his defense in the first round. If Henderson is sitting there late in round two, he would be a tremendous addition to the Commanders' offense.

Henderson has good size — 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds — together with blazing speed. He has been timed at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash. More importantly, his strength and speed have been evident on the field against top-level college competition.

He had a dominant freshman year in 2021, rushing for better than 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes and found the end zone four more times as a receiver.

Injuries slowed him down a bit over the next two seasons, though he remained productive. Henderson once again went over 1,000 yards on the ground and snagged 27 catches in his final college season. He averaged better than seven yards per carry in 2024.

Henderson only touched the ball 11 times in last year’s college football playoff quarter-final matchup against No. 1 ranked Oregon, but he accounted for better than 100 yards and two touchdowns. The following week against Texas, he touched it seven times, yet still gained better than 100 yards and a score. His 75-yard scamper to the end zone after catching a short pass in the flat just before half-time was a turning point in the game.

The dynamic backfield weapon produced big plays throughout his college career with Ohio State. Henderson has speed, power, and contact balance. He can catch. There is virtually nothing he cannot do out of the backfield. If the Commanders added him as a complement to Robinson, they would essentially be recreating what the Detroit Lions developed with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Lions’ pair would still be better. Gibbs is on the verge of becoming the most dangerous back in the NFL. Montgomery is a physical force. Neither Henderson nor Robinson would be as good next year as their counterparts in Detroit. Nor do the Commanders have as good an offensive line.

Then again, the Lions don’t have a running threat at quarterback anywhere near what Washington has.

Andy Reid won championships without elite runners. The Shanahan coaching tree convinced many NFL fans that most running backs are interchangeable. But then Kyle Shanahan traded for Christian McCaffrey because he realized what a truly dynamic dual-threat can provide. When he has been healthy, the San Francisco 49ers’ offense is among the league's most explosive.

Peters needs to keep that in mind. His team already has decent running backs and still needs help at other important positions. But if a game-changer like Henderson is available in the second round, the Commanders should snap him up.