Falcons Mock Draft: Texas Ex Bijan Robinson to Atlanta?

The Atlanta Falcons might look to double down at running back to build the best rushing attack in the league.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 17, 2023

The Atlanta Falcons are set to pick eighth overall for the second consecutive draft, and the team can go in several different directions.

After being the first team to pick a wide receiver in last year's draft, Sports Illustrated projects that the Falcons will be the first team to take a running back this year, taking Texas Longhorns star Bijan Robinson.

"He has very flexible hips, knees, and ankles that aid his change of direction. His impressive balance is evident through his cuts and through contact," Sports Illustrated writes.

Robinson ran for 1580 yards this past season for the Longhorns, ranking fifth in the country and proving to be a true home-run hitter.

The Falcons were one of the league's best rushing attacks in the league this past season, ranking third behind the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens, both of whom have an offense led by a mobile quarterback.

Atlanta achieved a lot of success on the ground thanks to Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier, who set the rookie record for rushing yards in a season for the franchise.

Given that the run game was so successful, does that mean the Falcons will double down to grab the best running back in the draft?

If the Falcons were basing their pick on taking the best player available, and if Robinson was that player on their board with the 8th pick in the draft, then that's who they should take.

However, Allgeier projects to be just fine without him and Patterson still has a year on his contract despite fears of a potential regression as he hits his 30s.

If the Falcons went for a need, Robinson probably won't be the pick and the team would look at the pass rusher or defensive line to take their guy.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Published Jan 17, 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.