Falcons drop the ball with Bijan Robinson pick

Bijan Robinson and Roger Goodell Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons drop the ball with Bijan Robinson selection

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 4/27/23

The Atlanta Falcons have been linked to generational running back prospect Bijan Robinson throughout the pre-draft process.

That’s why it was not a surprise that Atlanta used the eighth pick in the draft on the Arizona native when festivities got underway on Thursday.

The question, here, is whether Atlanta received value and need with a top-10 selection after winning just seven games this past season.

For a team that has not been relevant in the NFC Playoff race during the past half-decade -- and one that is set to rely on young quarterback Desmond Ridder under center -- there seemed to be other team needs in Atlanta.

This is not to say that the selection of Robinson has no upside. As noted above, the kid is a transcendent talent. We are talking about a two-time High School Football Player of the Year in the state of Arizona and someone who dominated collegiate competition in Austin.

Bijan Robinson stats (2021-22): 3,316 total yards, 6.6 average, 35 TD

This was one of the key questions leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. How do teams value running backs in today’s NFL? Only four backs have gone in the first round over the past four years. The highest picks in that group -- prior to Thursday -- was Josh Jacobs (24th overall in 2019) and Najee Harris (24th in 2021).

As for the Falcons, they averaged a resounding 159.9 rushing yards per game a season ago. A fifth-round pick last year, Tyler Allgeier starred as a rookie for Atlanta in 2022, tallying 1,174 total yards and four touchdowns while working at a clip of 5.2 yards per touch. He caught 16-of-17 passes on the season.

Veteran Cordarrelle Patterson also remains on roster after logging 1,983 total yards and 19 touchdowns over the past two seasons. What value did Atlanta receive in Bijan Robinson outside of his pure talent, given what we’ve seen from these two running backs recently?

The team could have gone with one of the most-talented pure players in the draft, Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, at a need position. Given the trades we saw within the top-10, moving down from the eighth pick also made sense.

We love Bijan Robinson as a football player. We are just not sold on the value the Atlanta Falcons received with this selection.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: