At his peak, Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk was a truly special player.
Faulk was already fantastic in his first five seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, but took his game to another level following a trade to the St. Louis Rams. In his first three years in St. Louis, Faulk won three straight Offensive Player of the Year awards, was the league's MVP in 2000 and the runner-up for the award in 1999 and 2001, only finishing behind his teammate in quarterback Kurt Warner. Faulk was a hallmark of the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams teams that won a Super Bowl in 1999 and nearly won another two years later.
Since Faulk's retirement in 2007, few running backs have been able to replicate his sheer dominance. However, one running back with such potential may have been in this year's draft class. In an article by Heavy about instant-impact rookies, an NFL scout compared Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson to the Rams great.
“He might not be a sleeper, but the people criticizing the Falcons taking Bijan Robinson will be eating crow," an AFC scout told Heavy. "Bijan’s the closest thing I’ve seen to Marshall Faulk.”
To say that Robinson came into the draft with a ton of hype would be an understatement. The former Texas Longhorns running back dominated in his college career, posting 1,894 yards and 20 touchdowns from scrimmage last season. That dominance culminated in him being the first running back selected in the top 10 picks in five years, going to the Falcons at No. 8 overall.
Robinson is the most-hyped running back prospect in several years, and drawing comparisons to a Hall of Famer right away is proof of that. Only time will tell whether or not he can reach those lofty heights.
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