The Falcons shocked many when they made Bijan Robinson the highest drafted running back since Saquon Barkley.
Following two cycles where Atlanta selected skill players with top 10 picks, the club drafted a running back with a third over Jalen Carter, who some considered to be one of the most talented prospects in the class.
Robinson’s rookie campaign was a mild success, finishing with 946 rushing yards, 487 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns, but the expectation was he’d compete for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
The Falcons went with the best player available in their assessment, and Matt Miller compared the situation to Brock Bowers, who many consider to be the greatest college tight end of all time.
“It’s a lot like Bijan Robinson last year,” Miller said, via Dawgs Nation. “We knew how talented he was as a player. It was really hard to find a natural fit for him. The Falcons obviously were pretty ok with taking a player early and they’ve got a great player.”
Falcons fans know as well as any the criticism that comes with taking a non-premium position player in a premium spot in the draft. It wasn’t only Bijan Robinson. Kyle Pitts was the highest draft tight end in league history, and Bowers had an even better college career.
The Georgia star won the Mackey Award, given to the country’s top tight end, twice in college, becoming the first two-time winner of the award. Brock Bowers is very clearly a top 10 talent, much like Pitts and Robinson were in their respective classes. However, Bowers has to land in the right situation or the pick will turn sour.
“You’ve got a team that is going to look at best player available, regardless of position, that’s Brock Bowers,” Miller said. “We’re going to go ahead and draft him and know we’ve got a chance to get a Pro Bowl player.”
Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts haven’t realized their full potential in Atlanta, but some of that can be attributed to the Falcons own shortcomings, not their personal struggles. The same will happen to Brock Bowers if he goes to a team that doesn’t have a clear plan for him.
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