Look for Bijan Robinson to become a household name as the new face of the Atlanta Falcons.
The future is now for the Atlanta Falcons, and Bijan Robinson is excited to play a huge part in that.
The NFL may be a quarterback-driven league, but who the Falcons drafted at running No. 8 out of Texas last spring is a potential game-changer. It became pretty clear throughout the draft process the Falcons were one of the teams that were most interested in taking him. He confirmed it to me in our conversation about how we got here, what is next and what we want to do going forward.
Robinson radiated with impeccable positivity throughout our entire conversation on behalf of Mercedes-Benz USA and YMCA of Metro Atlanta.
Upon arriving in Atlanta, the former Texas Longhorns star has begun to make his new town and his new place of employment home. Whether he is doing interview requests or working with kids to help enrich their lives in the community, the Falcons' rookie running back seems to get the big picture. He has the chance to be Atlanta's next Warrick Dunn, possibly even a hall-of-fame player.
The head this man has on his shoulders could be what it takes to bring the Falcons back to glory.
Bijan Robinson is ready to be the face of the Atlanta Falcons into this new era
Robinson joins a Falcons offense that is grossly underrated and versatile. Yes, we still need to see what Desmond Ridder can be in his first year as the starting quarterback, but whether it be Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield, Kyle Pitts at tight end, Drake London out wide or Chris Lindstrom and boys blocking up front for him, Robinson sees how the pieces fit in Atlanta.
While I certainly appreciate Robinson's humbleness in all of this, he was the No. 8 overall pick out of Texas and won the Doak Walker on an ascending Longhorns team. In a day and age where the running back position is being marginalized by pass-heavy offenses, we could be in for a ground-and-pound renaissance in Atlanta. Robinson faces big expectations, but he is clearly built for this.
When I talk to my friends who casually follow the NFL and major college football, I get a lot of questions about who Robinson plays like and what he is all about. I've always gone back to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk of yesteryear, as well as some combination of Deebo Samuel, Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey from today's game. He said I was spot-on!
While Samuel has been more reluctant to be a runner, all five role models Robinson has patterned his game after are either in the Pro Football Hall of Fame or are on their way toward Canton. Like I said before, he has another fantastic role model in-house in Falcons legend and minority honor Warrick Dunn. If Robinson is the 2020s version of Dunn, the Blank Family would be over the moon.
Yes, it's early and no, we haven't played any games that count yet, but this feels different. I feel like my hometown team is getting an incredibly likable and productive player that is 1000 percent worth building around. We have to play the games of course, but after speaking with Robinson, it is undeniable why the Falcons' brass was so high on him. He is a leader and a real culture-changer.
Overall, this team has been looking for something like this for quite a while. It hasn't been all bad since 28-3, but these last few years have been challenging, no doubt. Like Robinson said, the Falcons have plenty of good people in the building, not just on offense, but on the defensive side of the ball, too. He mentioned newcomer Jessie Bates III, Grady Jarrett and A.J. Terrell in particular.
Ultimately, this would be a great year for the Falcons to have a great year. The NFC is still somewhat down and the NFC South is totally up for grabs. Tampa Bay probably has the worst shot at winning the division, but Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans all will have their opportunities. For now, you have to love the Falcons' offensive identity to guide their way forward.
No matter how he plays on the field, the Falcons have drafted a world-class human in Robinson.
Bijan Robinson spoke to FanSided on behalf of Mercedes-Benz USA and YMCA of Metro Atlanta.
"Driving Your Future" is Mercedes-Benz USA's corporate social responsibility initiative to support educational programs that empower the next generation. As part of our commitment to positively impact communities where employees live and work, MBUSA has partnered with Safe Kids Worldwide and Junior Achievement USA to create and support programs focused on technology and sustainability, career readiness, and injury prevention to help the next generation succeed.