NFL insider Peter King has the Atlanta Falcons taking Texas Longhorns superstar running back Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Count NBC Sports’ Peter King in on the Atlanta Falcons drafting Bijan Robinson out of Texas.
King revealed his latest 2023 NFL mock draft on Monday’s edition of Football Morning in America. Obviously, there is so much to dissect from this, but there are three things that are abundantly clear about what the Falcons are wanting to do. They would prefer to trade back, have an affinity for Robinson as part of their offense and the Dirty Birds could have the best offensive weapons in-division.
Robinson to the Falcons is one of the few moves Terry Fontenot could make with universal praise.
Peter King has the Atlanta Falcons taking Bijan Robinson in his latest mock draft
I think we’re on the same page here. Robinson is the best running back in the draft. While he may be a top-five talent in the 2023 NFL Draft, his position group is not one of great value. No. 8 is about as early as he could realistically come off the board, but even that pick selection feels a tad too high. Atlanta will want to trade back, as they should, to land Robinson and more draft capital.
King perfectly outlines what the Falcons will have from an offensive weapons perspective after presumably drafting Robinson. Although so much remains to be seen about Desmond Ridder as the starting quarterback, we do know that Taylor Heinicke is a high-end backup. Outside of that, Atlanta retains Drake London and Kyle Pitts, as well as Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson.
The Falcons are not a Super Bowl contender this season by any means, but the Dirty Birds can get to around 10 or 11 wins to host a home playoff game as NFC South champions. Atlanta has a strong offensive identity of ground-and-pound established by former UNC guard Arthur Smith. They also added several key pieces to their defense in free agency already. Things are looking up!
As far as where Robinson should be coming off the board, the very early-to-mid-teens feels about right. Of course, it takes at least two willing partners to make a trade. Look for Fontenot and the rest of the Atlanta front office to potentially move back to get someone like Robinson, while accumulating more draft capital. Regardless, we can expect Atlanta to approach this with poise.
Ultimately, the Falcons draft a player like Robinson will land very well within the fanbase. While some legions of Dirty Bird Nation may covet a former Georgia star like edge rusher Nolan Smith or defensive tackle Jalen Carter, if he is still available, Robinson has the potential to be as good as, if not better than, Saquon Barkley. The Falcons play at their best when the run opens up the pass.
Other teams may be in on Robinson, but he is going to be hard to pass up if you are the Falcons.