Bijan Robinson confident Falcons will find ways to maximize his skill set
"I'm going to coach you hard."
Those were among the first words Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith spoke to rookie running back Bijan Robinson as the team opened its rookie minicamp on Friday.
A challenge that Robinson is more than up to as he got to work with his new head coach for the first time since being drafted No. 8 overall in April’s draft.
"I'm going to expect nothing less because he has a plan for me with his coaching style and making sure that I'm doing the right thing on the field, always pushing myself to new limits, new heights,” Robinson told reporters on Friday. “You know, I’ve got to match that.”
If Robinson could have hand-picked his head coach, he couldn’t have done much better than Smith. If there’s one thing Smith excels at, it’s finding ways to put his running backs in position to thrive.
Atlanta had the No. 3 rushing offense in the NFL in 2022, averaging 159.9 yards per game with 17 touchdowns. Tyler Allgeier also rushed for 1,035 yards and averaged 4.9 yards per carry as a rookie.
In Smith’s two seasons as offensive coordinator in Tennessee, the Titans had a top-three rushing offense both years. During that span, Derrick Henry totaled 3,567 yards rushing, 317 yards receiving and scored 35 total touchdowns. He led the NFL in rushing both years.
Smith’s track record of coaching successful running backs is why Robinson has faith that he will be used properly in all facets of the offense.
"He uses me everywhere, from receiver to running back," Robinson added. "He lets me do my abilities and skill set the right way, whether it's catching the ball, running routes, obviously running the football, blocking and doing it all."
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