Bijan Robinson is Draft Wire’s highest-rated RB prospect since 2004

Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson was Draft Wire’s highest-graded RB prospect since 2004

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Ever since hiring Arthur Smith and Terry Fontenot in 2021, the Atlanta Falcons have been forging their own path back to NFL relevance. That’s especially true if you look at the team’s approach to the draft.

In Year 1, the Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts at No. 4 overall — the highest pick ever used on a tight end. In 2023, the team once again went against conventional draft strategy by selecting Texas running back Bijan Robinson in the top 10.

Pitts and Robinson were some of the highest-rated players at their respective positions in recent memory. In fact, Draft Wire’s Jeff Risdon ranked Robinson as his No. 1 RB prospect of the last 20 years.

No, it’s not recency bias. Robinson, the No. 8 overall pick in 2023 by the Falcons, earned the highest running back grade of the last 20 years. His blend of speed, vision, elusiveness, receiving ability and freshness (I’m a stickler against overworked college RBs) earned Robinson a grade of 9.55.

We’ll see what comes of the Texas standout in the NFL in the coming years, but his grade reflects a prospect who should be an All-Pro-caliber player every year. Prior to Robinson in 2023, the highest RB grade belonged to Reggie Bush back in 2005. – Jeff Risdon, Draft Wire

The Falcons are clearly buying into the hype around Robinson, especially considering they just added 1,000-yard back Tyler Allgeier in the fifth round of last year’s draft and still have both Cordarrelle Patterson and Caleb Huntley under contract.

Robinson has an all-around skill set that you just don’t see very often out of the running back position. His incredible patience and vision combined with elite pass-catching ability make him an every-down weapon that should terrorize NFL defenses for years to come.

And with Allgeier and Patterson still in the picture, the Falcons can ease Robinson into the rotation. This will help the longevity of all three backs as they play in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense this season.

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