Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Reveals Bijan Robinson's Biggest Strength
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith declined to answer Saturday when asked what the most important traits for a ball carrier during a wide zone run are, simply saying "I'm not giving our evaluation info."
However, when Smith was asked what rookie running back Bijan Robinson does well that made Atlanta think he would be a good fit for their offense, the third-year coach was happy to explain.
"Bijan's strengths are that he can run any run scheme," Smith said. "You want to call gap, you want to call zone read, you want to call midzone, wide zone, tight zone, whatever term you want to announce, pin pull plays, transportation series, and whatever you want."
The Falcons, of course, used the No. 8 overall pick on Robinson, an especially high pick to use on a running back in today's game. However, Robinson rushed for 1,580 yards in his final collegiate season, making him the most highly-touted running back to enter the NFL Draft since the New York Giants made Saquon Barkley the No. 2 overall pick in 2018.
And in addition to Robinson's prowess in carrying the ball, there's a real feeling that he has a chance to be an impact as a pass catcher, in the same way Barkley has been in New York.
There's quite a bit of pressure on second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder to emerge as the team's franchise quarterback in 2023, and he'll have Robinson, receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts at his disposal in the passing game. But Smith has built a team that should have one of the league's top rushing attacks, with Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson set to form quite the trio. Said trio could help Atlanta to punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2017.
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