With the 8th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Falcons selected RB Bijan Robinson out of Texas. The 22-year-old had a ton of hype coming out of college. He’s an explosive athlete and had a solid performance as a rookie. Despite the talent the team had on offense, Atlanta finished 7-10 in 2023.
It was their third straight season going 7-10 and that’s why head coach Arthur Smith was fired. Smith was an offensive-minded coach and still managed to not use Robinson in the right ways. At least that’s what division rival Tyrann Mathieu thinks. Recently, he spoke about how Bijan Robinson is going to be a “special” player in his career. He also took jabs at how the rookie RB was not used properly in 2023.
Bijan Robinson received Hall of Fame comparisons from Saints’ safety Tyrann Mathieu
Tyrann Mathieu with high praise for Bijan Robinson 🙏 pic.twitter.com/aQCofwWsrp
— Green Light with Chris Long (@greenlight) April 1, 2024
Veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu just finished his 11th professional season and has seen a lot of football. Last season was Mathieu’s first chance to play against a division rival and rookie RB Bijan Robinson. In two meetings against the Falcons, the Saints’ safety saw enough to think that Robinson has the skills to be an elite player. Recently, Mathieu went on the Green Light podcast hosted by former NFL player Chris Long. New Orleans’ safety had the utmost praise for Robinson and compared him to Hall of Fame talent.
Mathieu referenced Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, and LaDainian Tomlinson. All three of those players are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Can Bijan Robinson become that type of player in his career? In his rookie season, Robinson played in all 17 games and made 16 starts. He rushed for 976 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Additionally, he added 58 receptions for 487 yards and four receiving touchdowns. The young RB only scratched the potential of what he can do in the NFL.
Tyrann Mathieu: Bijan Robinson will be special, Falcons could have used him better. https://t.co/7axb4ef071
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 2, 2024
Speaking with Chris Long, Tyrann Mathieu noted that the Falcons did not use the rookie RB in the right ways. That’s something new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson will look to change in 2024. Last season, Robinson split carriers with RB Tyler Allgeier despite the rookie being perfectly healthy. Don’t expect that to be the case moving forward. Atlanta used a top-10 pick on Robinson for a reason. He’s going to be their lead back in 204 and likely has a breakout season. Especially now that Kirk Cousins is his starting QB. Skies the limit for Bijan Robinson in his NFL career.
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