Bijan Robison is a spectacle at the running back position. Turn on the tap, and it’s easy to see why the Falcons took him 8th overall.
There isn’t anything the guy can’t do. Remember the scene from Friday Night Lights when Boobie Miles’ Uncle was in the bleachers talking to college scouts?
“He can block, tackle, score the touchdown, snap the ball, hold the snap, and kick the extra point. Hell, the boy will fill up the Gatorade cooler, walk the dog, and paint your back porch. The boy can flat out play football…AND HE CAN PASS!”
It’s one of my favorite scenes from any sports movie, and it applies to Bijan Robinson’s game.
He runs with a unique combination of elusiveness, vision, and power with enough lateral burst to bounce runs outside. Robinson can then accelerate in a blink while not losing speed in and out of cuts. He is a big play waiting to happen, responsible for 45 plays of 20+ yard gains in his career at Texas, including eight carries of 50+ yards.
What’s most impressive is his ability as a pass catcher; 14 of those 45 explosive plays were through the air. Robinson can run the entire running back route tree but also effectively work out of the slot. He’s better described as an offensive weapon than a running back.
Robinson is an exceptional talent, prompting some to draw lofty comparisons to Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk.
https://twitter.com/jasrifootball/status/1653771024595398656?s=20
Matt Lombardo isn’t the only one.
https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1649445640835923974?s=20
“He’s like a Marshall Faulk,” Johnson noted. “Can catch the ball out of the backfield, he can run between the tackles, he can run on the perimeter.”
It is a high bar to reach for Robinson to live up to Faulk, a Hall of Famer and the 2000 NFL MVP.
However, what is most impressive about Bijan Robinson is his intangibles. He’s got all of the talent in the world but remains humble and down to earth, according to reports from coaches and teammates. That is what sold the Falcons on him — the person, not the player.
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Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire
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