Was Bijan Robinson destined to play for the Falcons?
Bijan Robinson was destined to be a Falcon since he was a kid.
Less than 24 hours after he was selected No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2023 draft, Robinson shared a photo from his youth football days in which he’s wearing a No. 8 jersey that displays numbering and a Falcon logo similar to that of the NFL team.
While it’s unlikely Robinson could have known Atlanta is where he’d end up years later, he surely appreciates the symmetry.
"They said, 'You just fit,’” Robinson told the Falcons' official website. “(They said) you're going to fit right in here when it comes to personality and the way (you) play on the field. We're going to try and maximize (your) skill set.’”
Robinson, who ran for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns and added another 314 yards and two touchdowns receiving in 2022, joins a Falcons backfield that features Tyler Allgeier, Cordarrelle Patterson, B.J. Baylor, Caleb Huntley and Clint Ratkovich.
Allgeier led the team with 1,035 yards rushing as a rookie in 2022, while Patterson contributed 695 yards and had a team-high eight rushing touchdowns. Robinson gives Atlanta a strong nucleus of young offensive players including Allgeier (23), quarterback Desmond Ridder (23), receiver Drake London (21) and tight ends Kyle Pitts (22) and Jonnu Smith (27).
"It's a young offense with so much great talent," Robinson added. "We're going to try to build something special. Hopefully we can stay together and play together for a long time."
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