Falcons' Bijan Robinson Isn't Cordarrelle Patterson - But He's 'Similar'
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith isn't a fan of comparisons - he's made it abundantly clear many times since taking over in Jan. 2021.
So, when Smith brings up one player when talking about another, take note ... and he did precisely that with two of his running backs, first-round pick Bijan Robinson and veteran Cordarrelle Patterson, a former first rounder in his own right.
"I think with Bijan, he's a different kind of running back - similar to how we use Cordarrelle Patterson," Smith said on the Green Light Podcast. "They don't just fit in that certain box. We feel the same thing about Bijan as we do with Cordarrelle - they're very different players than Tyler Allgeier."
Patterson, 31, is the NFL's record-holder for kickoff return touchdowns with nine, set this past season - he's an explosive playmaker who, two years ago, became the first player in Falcons history to post 500 yards as both a runner and receiver.
And really, that's the type of impact Atlanta feels Robinson can have - Smith cited his homerun-hitting ability and contact balance as a runner while noting his experience in the slot during both high school seven-on-seven's and in college at Texas, where he finished with 805 receiving yards in three years, the third-most by a running back in program history.
It all goes back to Smith's interest in playing positionless offensive football, in which he can take the same group of five players and put them in a number of different personnel groupings that leave defenses unfit to handle certain looks ... and Robinson and Patterson only add to that vision.
The 5-11, 215-pound Robinson is big - but not as big as Patterson, who stands 6-2, 220 pounds. Another distinguishing trait is the latter entered the league as a receiver, only beginning the conversion to running back towards the back-half of his pro career.
This is, in a sense, why Smith dislikes comparisons - beyond the expectations they can place on players, rarely do they completely match on every level.
But this is also more about role and skill set and less about career accolades; Smith has maximized Patterson's skill set like no other, creating a versatile, explosive weapon ... and Robinson, from a big picture perspective, has a chance to claim that exact same designation.
"They are unique where you can line them up, but their skill sets are different, so they're not the same player," Smith said post-draft. "We didn't take (Robinson) thinking he's (Patterson), but they do have a lot of versatility."
Due to his success as a returner, Patterson made the NFL's all-decade team for the 2010s; he's had a long, successful pro career that begin with a strong debut campaign in which he finished third in rookie of the year voting and was a first-team All-Pro, something the Falcons certainly hope is mirrored by Robinson.
But not to be lost is that Robinson is ... Robinson. He's not Patterson, and don't even think about bringing up Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry's name around Smith - he'll call it "ridiculous" and move on.
The 21-year-old Robinson was the highest-drafted running back since the New York Giants selected Saquon Barkley at No. 2 overall in 2018; he's a unique talent who carries a personality that's been praised by seemingly everyone within Atlanta's building across the last month.
And yet, when projecting a role for Robinson, the Falcons don't appear set on reinventing the wheel. After all, why should they? Patterson broke a franchise record in 2021 while furthering the popularity of the "wide back" role across the league.
By all accounts, the Falcons would be thrilled if Robinson can produce "similar" returns this fall and match the accolades that Patterson brought in some 10 years ago, only adding to the list of similarities between the talented playmakers poised to help give Atlanta an identity that embodies the same things as them - positionless, explosive ... and "unique."
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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