One of the stories at the 2023 NFL Draft involved Texas running back Bijan Robinson. Nobody was doubting him as a player but due to his position, an early first-round selection was thought to be unlikely. The Atlanta Falcons went against the grain though, taking Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick.
Now, the two have agreed to his rookie contract. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, Robinson will sign a fully guaranteed four-year deal with Atlanta. He is just the latest top-10 selection to reach an agreement and get his NFL career underway.
“Sources: The #Falcons and RB Bijan Robinson have agreed to terms on his four-year, $21.96M rookie contract that is fully guaranteed and also includes a fifth-year option,” Rapoport said. “The No. 8 pick is signing now, as another Top 10 selection is locked in.”
Robinson wound up being one of two running backs selected in the first round. Detroit took Alabama‘s Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12, with the duo being the consensus top two players at the position.
A cold streak was ended by the selection either. There had been no first-round picks to come out of Texas since the 2015 NFL Draft when Malcom Brown was selected No. 32 overall. To find a top-10 selection, you would have to go all the way back to 2006. Both Vince Young and Michael Huff were taken following the program’s national championship.
Bijan Robinson looking for instant success in the NFL
After a successful career with Texas, Robinson has the chance to instantly make an impact in the NFL. There were people, such as Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network or ESPN’s Todd McShay, who viewed Robinson as a legit top-five overall player in the draft. But as mentioned, the running back position valued his draft stock.
Well, the draft is now over and Robinson can just out there and play football. And he’s pretty good at it, rushing for 3,410 yards and 18 touchdowns during his time in Austin. Robinson was the backbone of Texas’ offense at times, putting the team on his back en route to wins.
Atlanta will be hoping for the same, especially as the quarterback position continues to get figured out. The Falcons were already one of the league’s top rushing teams, ranking first in attempts with 559 and third in total yards at 2,718.
Robinson will still find a way to improve their ground attack over the next four to five seasons.
