Over the Commanders final 11 games in 2024, including the playoffs, their running backs averaged three yards per carry or less six times. So, there is a need for the club to add someone who could create more yards on the ground outside of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Drafting such a player could also provide a long-term solution due to the fact that current running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler are both in the final years of their contracts.

Robinson, as usual, was not targeted. Robinson generated only 129 yards rushing across three playoff contests. Third-year pro Robinson more or less cloned his sophomore campaign, fighting through various injuries — knee, hamstring and ankle — as he fell just short of 800 yards rushing across 14 games. He was replacement-level both from a yards per carry perspective (4.3) and average rush yards over expected, where he was nearly 0.00 in the advanced metric. Robinson is a tough rusher who doesn’t catch many passes or author many explosive runs. He can probably make it another year as the early-down bell-cow in a committee, but he’s not looking like someone shaping up for a lucrative second contract as he heads into the final season of his rookie deal.

The Lions’ top priority in this game was to stop Jayden Daniels. They didn’t come close to doing that and it still left them vulnerable to Washington’s ground game, led by Robinson. He ran for more than five yards per carry for the first time since Week 13 despite handling the short-yardage work as well. While it may have suppressed his YPC, the goal line role netted him a pair of touchdowns. He did, however, cede a short touchdown to Jeremy McNichols. The Commanders aren’t likely to drop 45 points again next week, but Robinson’s job as the grinder will make him a touchdown-or-bust DFS play for the Conference Championship Round.

It was not a good night for Robinson Jr. He was routinely hit in the backfield, but he also didn’t show any ability to make defenders miss or fight through contact. It’s been a few weeks since he’s made a meaningful impact in the game for Washington, but the team will need far more production out of him if they hope to keep up with the Lions’ offense next week.