Is Bijan Robinson the Next Football Superstar?
- Darryl White
- Apr 28, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 16
Our thoughts on 2023 rookie running back Bijan Robinson.
College Career Stats:
"An almost flawless prospect that should be the 1.01 regardless of format." - Jeremy
Measurables:
5’11
215 lbs.
30 BMI
4.46 40-yard-dash
37" Vertical Jump
124" Broad Jump
108.7 Speed Score
Strengths:
Robinson is considered decent in the passing game and a great route runner with smooth receiving skills.
His 40-yard-dash time is solid but not outstanding and leaves some questions to be answered about his long speed at the NFL level.
Bijan Robinson finished his college career with an 86th percentile dominator rating.
He was ranked as the #1 running back prospect out of high school.
Bijan rushed for over two thousand yards three times in high school while averaging 13.7 yards per carry. He finished as the all-time Arizona High School leader in touchdowns and yards.
It is hard to question his production when he rushed for 100 or more yards 18 times.
As a freshman, Bijan set the school record for yards-per-carry.
He continued to make history by being the only FBS player to rush for at least 170 yards on ten or fewer carries multiple times in a season over the past 20 years.
Pro Football Focus notes that Bijan Robinson has the most missed tackles, 104 since PFF started tracking missed tackles.
Weaknesses:
We would have liked to see more receiving work, but he averaged 13.4 yards per reception.
Robinson's ideal running back size may make him look tight or upright when running.
His high college workload is a concern for longevity, as he averaged 22.6 touches per game.
Scouting Report
We consider Robinson to be the safest option in all fantasy formats. The Atlanta Falcons selected Bijan 8th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Falcons rushed 33 rushes inside the 10-yard line for 10 touchdowns. Combined, those are similar to or better than Austin Ekeler, Derrick Henry, Josh Josh Jacobs, Saqoun Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, and other top running backs from 2022. If Bijan Robinson can get 65% of those touches, you quickly have a top-10 running back. The question is, can he get enough carries to be a top running back? Tyler Allgeier accounted for 48% of Atlanta's rushing attempts and yards. Assuming that Patterson and Caleb Huntley are off the team in 2023, you are still looking at a 50/50 split. If you have the 1.01, you probably should still draft Bijan Robinson, but Atlanta may have put some cold water on what could have been an outstanding dynasty outlook.
How does it feel to draft him?
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