First Look At Bijan Robinson With Falcons Indicates Unique Hybrid Position As Arthur Smith Gets Creative With 1st Round Pick
When it is all said and done, Bijan Robinson could end up as the best pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. There are always questions about drafting a running back in the first round, especially No. 8, but the former Texas ball-carrier is different.
In fact, it may not be fair to call him a running back. Robinson is a jack-of-all-trades. He does it all, and head coach Arthur Smith plans to use him as Swiss Army knife.
At 6-foot-0, 215 pound, Robinson is a bowling ball. His quads are massive and the former Texas Longhorn never stops moving his legs.
Not only did Robinson surpass the 1,500-yard rushing mark with 18 touchdowns as a junior last year, he played an important role in the passing game and caught 19 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. That was after catching the second-most passes on the team as a sophomore in 2021.
There is a legitimate argument to be made that he would have slated as WR3 or WR4 in this year’s NFL Draft class behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston.
Robinson is fantastic out of the slot.
His ability to track the ball and come down with catches is elite.
And getting him the ball in space is dangerous.
He has shown reliable hands and crisp routes and could end up being a 60+ reception back when it is all said and done.
In fact, Robinson lined up as a wide receiver in more than 10% of his snaps while with Texas. There has not been a more complete receiving back since Christian McCaffrey.
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith agrees. Robinson is a weapon that can be used in many ways, which is exactly what Atlanta plans to do.
He uses me everywhere, from receiver to running back. He lets me do my abilities and skill set the right way, whether it’s catching the ball, running routs, obviously running the football, blocking and doing it all.
The first clip of Robinson in action makes it very clear how he will be used this fall, and beyond. He wasn’t running the ball, he was catching a pass out of the Y-receiver spot.
Considering that Robinson joins a backfield that ranked third in the NFL last fall, with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson both returning, he opens up even more avenues to exploit defenses. His game is a natural compliment to the former.
Assuming that the Falcons can get it figured out at quarterback with Desmond Ridder and/or Taylor Heinicke, this could be the year that things start to click. Robinson, Kyle Pitts and Drake London form a formidable and dangerous trio— especially with the team’s newest pick being able to do it all.