2023 NFL Draft grades: Falcons pick Bijan Robinson at No. 8; first RB taken in top 10 since Saquon Barkley
Everything you need to know about Atlanta's new running back
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3 min read
The Atlanta Falcons made one of the splashiest picks thus far in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting former Texas star running back Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall. He is the first offensive player from Texas selected in the first round since Vince Young in 2006, and the fifth Texas running back drafted in the first round in the Common Draft Era. Robinson is also the highest drafted running back since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
A five-star recruit out of Salpointe Catholic in Arizona, Robinson lived up to his billing as the nation's No. 1 high school running back with the Longhorns. Robinson averaged more than eight yards per carry as a freshman, surpassed 1,000 rushing yards as a sophomore and won the award for the nation's best running back this past season, totaling nearly 1,900 yards from scrimmage and finding the end zone a whopping 20 times.
Robinson finished up his time at Texas with the fourth-most rushing yards (3,410) in program history, and avoided a whopping 113 tackles last season. That's the most tackles avoided by any FBS player over the past five years. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told NBC Sports' Peter King recently that Robinson could be a legitimate slot receiver in the NFL because of his elite pass-catching ability. Robinson caught just 19 passes in 2022, but turned those 19 touches into 314 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.5 yards per reception!
Arthur Smith may have found his own Derrick Henry with this home-run hitter. Below is a comprehensive draft profile for Robinson, including his scouting report, prospect ranking, pro comparison, combine results, college and high school accolades and overall NFL outlook.
NFL Draft grade: D
"This is way too high for a back, even if he's a really good player. Backs don't decide Super Bowls. I know Arthur Smith loves backs, but this is a deep draft of backs and history isn't kind to this type of move. I don't like it because of position value. Good player, bad position." -- Pete Prisco
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Bijan Robinson draft profile
- Age: 21
- Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
- Interesting fact: His uncle, Paul Robinson, was a two-time Pro Bowl RB during his six-year NFL career
- CBS Sports prospect ranking: No. 5 overall | No. 1 RB | 90.63 rating (All-Pro)
NFL Combine measurements/results
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 215 lbs | Arms: 31 1/8" | Hands: 9 3/4"
- 40-yard dash: 4.46 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.52 seconds
- Broad jump: 10 feet, 4 inches
- Vertical jump: 37 inches
NFL comparison
Scouting report
Bijan Robinson is a well-rounded running back with ideal size to be an every-down contributor in the NFL. He excels as a runner, pass catcher and blocker but has received the lion's share of touches in Austin over the past two seasons.
Strengths
- Does a good job of breaking his feet down in space and redirecting
- Great size to be an every-down back
- Good pass catcher
- Good top-end speed
- Holds up well in pass protection
Weaknesses
- Has averaged 226.5 carries each of the past two seasons
- Short-yardage situations
- Running with power
College stats, accolades
Rushing stats
| Year | Games | Attempts | Yards | YPC | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12 | 258 | 1,580 | 6.1 | 18 |
2021 | 10 | 195 | 1,127 | 5.8 | 11 |
| 2020 | 9 | 86 | 703 | 8.2 | 4 |
Receiving stats
| Year | Games | Rec | Yards | YPC | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 12 | 19 | 314 | 16.5 | 2 |
2021 | 10 | 26 | 295 | 11.3 | 4 |
| 2020 | 9 | 15 | 196 | 13.1 | 2 |
Honors
- 2022: Doak Walker Award (nation's best RB)
- 2022: Unanimous first-team All-American (fourth Texas RB to receive honor)
- 2022: Dave Campbell's Texas Football Best Running Back and a first-team All-Texas selection
- 2021-22: Two-time first-team All-Big 12 (coaches, Associated Press)
- 2021: Honorable mention for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
- 2020: Honorable mention for Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
- 2020: Valero Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP
Notable statistics
- Career: Fourth in program history in rushing yards (3,410) and touchdowns (41 - 33 rushing, eight receiving)
- Career: Most receiving touchdowns (eight) by a Texas RB
- 2020: School records for yards per carry in a game (19.1 at Kansas State) and in a season (8.2)
- 2020: Only FBS player to rush for at least 170 yards on 10 or fewer carries multiple times in a season over past 20 years
- 2020: First freshman to lead team in all-purpose yards in a season since 2001 (Cedric Benson)
247Sports profile
High school: Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, Arizona)
Class: 2020
Composite Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0.9928)
- National: 15 | RB: 1 | Arizona: 2 | All-time: 294
High school accolades: First-team All-American (MaxPreps), second-team junior All-American (MaxPreps), second-team sophomore All-American (MaxPreps), Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, All-American Bowl selection, left high school as Arizona's career all-time leader in touchdowns (114) and rushing yards (7,036)
Check out Bijan Robinson's full 247Sports profile, here. For his MaxPreps profile, click here.
