Falcons RB Bijan Robinson 'Not a Good Selection,' Says Mel Kiper Jr.

The Atlanta Falcons have been criticized for taking Bijan Robinson over some available pass rushers with the No. 8 overall pick.

Jeremy Brener | May 3, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are turning heads after leaving the 2023 NFL Draft with running back Bijan Robinson as their first-round pick.

For a team that finished third in the league in rushing last season, Robinson could be viewed as a "luxury pick." However, the team targeted best player available instead of need. That's why Mel Kiper Jr. gave the Falcons a "B-" for his draft class grades.

"Look, Robinson is a tremendous prospect," ESPN writes. "He might win Rookie of the Year in Arthur's Smith's offense. But the Falcons could get 90% of his production from Allgeier and a couple of Day 3 options. Smith said Thursday night that Robinson is 'a lot more than a running back,' but that doesn't make this a good selection. They could have gone with cornerback Christian Gonzalez or defensive tackle Jalen Carter or edge rusher Nolan Smith and gotten better value."

Outside of the Robinson pick, Kiper felt the Falcons did a good job in the second round by trading up six spots to select Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron. However, he feels like the team failed to address the pass rush enough and that third-round pick Zach Harrison isn't enough to completely fill the need.

Had the Falcons taken a pass rusher instead of Robinson, maybe he'd feel different, but then Atlanta wouldn't have its potentially generational running back.

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Published May 3, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.