Texas football makes Big 12 history in the 2023 NFL Draft

The Texas football program had quite the bounce back in the 2023 NFL Draft just one year after not having a single selection in the 2022 class. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian saw three players drafted within the first 115 picks of the draft.

The first former Longhorn to hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft was All-American junior running back Bijan Robinson, who was picked eighth overall in the first round by the Atlanta Falcons. Bijan getting picked eighth by the Falcons made him the first running back to go in the top 10 of the draft since the New York Giants selected the former Penn State Nittany Lions star Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018.

Bijan also became the first Texas Ex to be picked in the first round of the NFL Draft since the New England Patriots selected Malcom Brown 32nd overall in 2015.

It’s also worth noting that Bijan is the first Big 12 running back in the last 15 years to be selected in the first round of the draft, let alone going in the top 10. He was the first Big 12 running back selected in the top since the former Oklahoma Sooner legend Adrian Peterson was picked seventh by the Minnesota Vikings in 2007.

Moreover, on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, Texas had another player come off the board. The Dallas Cowboys selected senior Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown with the 90th overall pick in the third round. Overshown is the fourth Texas linebacker (along with Jordan Hicks, Malik Jefferson, and Joseph Ossai) to be picked in the first two days of the draft since 2015.

And then, Texas got its third player selected in the first 115 picks of this draft with the Chicago Bears selecting senior running back Roschon Johnson 115th overall in the fourth round. Roschon was the first running back selected on Day 3 of the draft and the eighth player taken at the position in the 2023 draft in total.

Texas football RBs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson make Big 12 history in the 2023 NFL Draft

Texas having two running backs selected this high in the draft is something that made history in the Big 12 this week. According to Stathead, Texas is the first Big 12 school to have two running backs selected in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft, with one being selected in the top 10.

Another noteworthy stat is that Texas is the first school two have two running backs selected in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft, while having one selected in the top 10, since the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2008. Arkansas had Darren McFadden selected fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft, and Felix Jones selected 22nd by the Cowboys.

The only other school in Big 12 history to even have two running backs selected in the first four rounds of the same draft was Oklahoma in 2017. The Sooners had Joe Mixon selected in the second round and Samaje Perine in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Bijan is going to the Falcons with the potential to make an immediate impact on that offense as a Pro Bow-caliber starting running back. Meanwhile, Roschon will provide a lot of versatility to Chicago’s backfield, which already has a former Longhorn in the mix in D’Onta Foreman.

Bijan and Roschon had very decorated careers on the Forty Acres. They likely sparked a generation of Texas running backs that are going to produce a lot of early-to-middle-round NFL Draft picks for years to come.