Bijan Joins the Falcons

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Greatest collection of skill players in Falcons history...

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FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFK!!!

He better turn into AP or Barry!!!

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Round 1, No. 8 overall: Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

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My take: Such a smart pick by the Falcons, who often say they are going to take the best player available. Based off who was left on the board, Robinson -- perhaps the best player in the draft, period -- was the best available. It also makes Atlanta's offense dynamic, with first-round playmakers at running back, receiver (Drake London) and tight end (Kyle Pitts) for quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Will he start as a rookie: In a word, yes. Of course, at running back "starter" can be a week-to-week thing, but the Falcons value versatility, and Robinson has that. He can be a power running back to pair with Tyler Allgeier and a receiver in the mold of Cordarrelle Patterson. In reality, he's probably the eventual replacement for what the Falcons want to do with Patterson within the offense. Robinson, the first Texas player taken in the top 10 since 2006 when Vince Young and Michael Huff were, will be a matchup nightmare for opponents and make Atlanta's offense difficult to defend.

Is this pick for depth or does it fill a hole: It fills a hole in that the Falcons were somewhat thin at running back beyond Allgeier with Caleb Huntley coming off an Achilles injury and Patterson well over age 30. But it's deeper than that. It's about acquiring dynamic playmakers for an offense where the more spots a player can line up, the more enticing he is. In Robinson, they have that.

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Falcons view No. 8 draft pick Bijan Robinson as 'more than a RB'

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The Atlanta Falcons have never been afraid to ignore conventional draft theory, and on Thursday night, they did it again.

The Falcons took running back Bijan Robinson from Texas with the eighth pick of the draft, the highest a running back has been taken in the draft since the New York Giants took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft.

There might be questions about value, since running backs in the top 10 are a rarity in the modern NFL, but the Falcons and Robinson view it differently.

"Yeah, conventional wisdom, he's a lot more than a running back," Falcons coach Arthur Smith said. "He's an impact football player."

Robinson entered the draft unsure of whether he would be taken in the first round, let alone the top 10. He just didn't know, even though he had a strong private workout with the Falcons that included a trip to a local BBQ joint in Austin, Texas, where Smith saw Robinson's old Texas teammate, Falcons defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham, eat the biggest rib he'd ever seen.

It was on that visit that the Falcons really got to understand Robinson and what he was about -- how he could help them on the field and off it. They ultimately took the idea of running back value and ignored it, like the team has done with other players and their perceived positional values in the past.

Robinson demonstrated that value at Texas, where he rushed for 3,410 yards and 33 rushing touchdowns in his career along with 60 catches for 805 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. That versatility appealed to Atlanta, which made him the first Texas player to be drafted in the top 10 since 2006, when quarterback Vince Young and safety Michael Huff went No. 3 and No. 7, respectively.

The Falcons' offense values positional flexibility -- almost all their skill position players can line up in multiple spots on the offense.

"Get unique with your personnel packages," Smith said. "You line up where it looks like 22 personnel, you line up where it looks like 10 personnel, get in the empty.

"So it allows you to put a lot of stress, even just pre-snap logistically as you're going onto the field the way we operate and play and we'll evolve."

Even though the Falcons drafted a running back and were a top-five rushing offense in the NFL, Smith said he is going to strive for more balance this year. Robinson provides an answer for that because he can be a slot receiver or a running back, something he tried to do more often his final year at Texas.

"I take pride in catching the football, too, as much as running the ball and blocking," Robinson said. "I think that if you're a complete player, it just makes the most sense."

Under Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot, the Falcons have used their past three first-round picks on a skill position player. Before Robinson this year, they took tight end Kyle Pitts in 2021 and wide receiver Drake London last year. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, only two other teams since 2000 have taken a running back, wide receiver or tight end in three consecutive drafts: the Jaguars in 2004-06 and the Detroit Lions in 2003-05.

Robinson's versatility and talent made him attractive enough for Atlanta to bypass defensive players at positions of potential need, including Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who were still available at No. 8.

When asked about choosing Robinson over Gonzalez or Carter, Smith said there are "a lot of talented players" in the draft, but it was clear the Falcons have a plan for how they want to use their talented new running back.

"You talk about positionless football," Fontenot said. "The versatility, the impact that he's going to make for us. We're extremely excited."

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Todd McShay: Bijan Robinson to Falcons Was Best Pick of 2023 NFL Draft Round 1

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ESPN's Todd McShay isn't particularly concerned when it comes to the perceived lack of value in picking a running back at No. 8 in the NFL draft.

At least not when that running back is Bijan Robinson.

McShay called the Atlanta Falcons' decision to draft Robinson at No. 8 the best pick of Thursday's opening round.

"I just love the fit, positional value aside," McShay wrote. "He is my No. 2 prospect in this class and brings a whole new element to the Falcons' offense with his power, pass-game traits and contact balance. He's one of the best running backs I've evaluated in the past decade, and with Atlanta's run-heavy scheme, he could really dominate right out of the gate."

Robinson brings plenty to the table with the power to run between the tackles, the speed to get to the outside and the ability to contribute as a pass-catcher either out of the backfield or in the slot.

He is another young talent in an offense that also has Kyle Pitts and Drake London, which should help quarterback Desmond Ridder adjust to the NFL game as his career continues. Whether that means improvement over the team's 7-10 record from a season ago remains to be seen, but Atlanta's offense is far more dangerous than it was 24 hours ago.

And it's all because of Robinson.

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Return of the running back



It turns out some NFL teams do think there's value to drafting a running back in the first round. A year after no running backs were selected in the first round, two were taken in the first half of the first round, as Texas' Bijan Robinson went No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons, and Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs followed shortly after at No. 12 to the Lions. It marked the first time that two running backs were selected in the top 12 since Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette in 2017. Meanwhile, the first wide receiver didn't come off the board until four in a row were taken from Nos. 20 to 23.

Though Robinson had only 19 receptions for 314 yards and two touchdowns to 1,580 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns last season, Atlanta coach Arthur Smith pointed to Robinson's versatility in explaining the decision to draft him.

"His background, playing in the slot, was another big piece of it," Smith told local media. "That's intriguing. We feel he is an explosive weapon, a home run hitter however he gets the football in his hands."

Both Robinson and Gibbs were surprise picks by their organizations because neither team was perceived as having a glaring need at the position. While the Falcons rushed for 2,718 yards in 2022 -- the second most in franchise history -- the Lions entered the NFL draft with a running back tandem of 2020 third-round pick D'Andre Swift and David Montgomery, who signed a three-year deal in the offseason. That didn't stop either organization from pulling maverick moves and drafting a seemingly devalued position.

"It's a personal opinion," Smith said. "I think he is a valuable football player. The impact you can have on your team, that's the value. The value, the impact he makes, does he help you win games? I mean, there are a lot of guys that can stuff the stat sheet. You can have a lot of receptions, and you are playing a lot of two-minute and getting your teeth kicked in. You can have a great year. You can have 90-something catches and feel really great, but what was your impact on winning? ... The impact he has on winning is what we're really fired up about."

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NFL Rookies Who Could Be All-Pros or Pro Bowlers in 2023

Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons



All-Pro Chances: 45 percent
Pro Bowl Chances: 80 percent

Apparently, the Atlanta Falcons didn't get the memo about the poor value of first-round running backs, which seems fitting because they run a tailback-friendly system that can elevate ball-carriers. Bijan Robinson could feast in head coach Arthur Smith's offense.

As the Tennessee Titans play-caller, Smith built his offense around Derrick Henry, who led the league with 303-plus rush attempts for the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. Robinson isn't going to match that number of carries because he'll likely share touches with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson, but he's a far better pass-catcher than Henry.

Robinson could rack up 2,000-plus scrimmage yards with a few receptions in addition to his rushing workload every week. At Texas, he caught 60 passes for 805 yards and eight touchdowns, showing off his dynamic skill set.

Quarterback Desmond Ridder has quality perimeter targets in tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London, but Smith may want his second-year quarterback to establish a rhythm early in games with short completions to Robinson.

Assuming Robinson can handle his blocking assignments, he'll see the field on all three downs and become a focal point of the offense.

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Superstar in the making!!!

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Ranking the NFL's Best Running Back Duos Ahead of the 2023 Season

1. Green Bay Packers: Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon
2. San Francisco 49ers: Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell
3. Cleveland Browns: Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford

4. Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier



Consider this a down payment on the Bijan Robinson hype.

Last season, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson were one of the most productive running back duos in the league. The two combined for 1,991 yards and 12 total touchdowns. Arthur Smith knows how to scheme up the run game and has been instrumental in helping Cordarrelle Patterson go from receiver and kick returner to running back.

Now, he's going to get a true blue-chip prospect in Robinson to work with.

Patterson will likely take a step back in terms of volume, but he has been effusive in praise for Robinson. He recently told Josh Kendall of The Athletic, "there is not one spot he can not play on this field."

Robinson's receiving skills and dynamic ability in the open field are going to make him a fun watch on Sundays. It also means there's room for him to thrive while still keeping Tyler Allgeier involved.

The 2022 fifth-round pick averaged 4.9 yards per carry while tallying just over 1,000 rushing yards last season.

The Falcons will once again have one of the best rushing attacks in the league next season. If Robinson is able to live up to the hype this offense is going to be as dangerous as the combination of Robinson and Allgeier allows them to be.

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Curious to see what his fantasy football ranking among running backs will be.

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