The Atlanta Falcons went against conventional wisdom when using their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Despite the position being devalued in recent years, the Falcons used the No. 8 overall pick on Texas running back Bijan Robinson.
Despite how many draft analysts and evaluators feel that using such an early pick on a running back is a bad idea, they love the player. There is no denying that Robinson is a special talent as some believe he is the best player in this year’s draft class. Some front office personnel is already fitting a gold jacket for Robinson.
While those are some wild expectations to place on a player, it is easy to see what people would think so highly of Robinson. There is a lot to like about Robinson, starting with his size.
Robinson stands 6 feet tall and weighs 215 pounds, possessing the size to be an every-down, workhorse back. He was a one-man wrecking crew for the Longhorns, dominating whether it was as a ball carrier or pass catcher.
In three seasons at Texas, Robinson rushed for 3,410 yards and 33 touchdowns, adding 60 receptions for 805 yards and eight more scores. That kind of yardage total and big play ability is capable because of his ability to break his feet down in space and change direction.
Good luck catching Robinson in the open field as he also has good top-end speed to run away from defenders. As evidenced by his stats, he excels as a pass catcher, but he can also hold up in pass protection. That will be key to him staying on the field full-time in the NFL so that he can protect his quarterback.
There aren’t many knocks against Robinson, but his workload is certainly concerning. He has averaged 226.5 carries in each of the last two seasons so he is coming into the NFL with a lot more wear and tear than someone such as fellow first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs.
Some concerns also exist when Robinson is asked to convert in short-yardage situations, which requires running with power. It is something that people believe is a knock against Saquon Barkley as well and he has fared just fine in the NFL when healthy. The Falcons also have Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson to handle those carries.
Robinson is entering the NFL with some major expectations and has all of the skills to live up to them. He couldn’t have landed in a better spot to produce early on than with the Falcons as head coach Arthur Smith is as committed to the run as any coach in the league.
