Falcons Draft RB Bijan Robinson in Peter King Mock; 'Best Weapons in NFC South'?
We have already taken the "Don't Sleep'' approach to the idea of Bijan Robinson ending up in an Atlanta Falcons uniform. And at the same time we know all about the concept of "the devaluation of the running back in today's NFL.
And yet ... here's a chance to advance the ball, figuratively and literally, with a plugged-in league analyst believing that not just Bijan, but two players at that "devalued'' position, will be selected in the first round during Thursday's NFL Draft
The concept comes from Peter King, who released a mock draft in his "Football Morning in America'' column, and two of the highlights come with Georgia ties.
King first is projecting the Falcons to take Texas' Bijan Robinson at No. 8 overall. He also notes that Atlanta "would be leaving draft capital on the table'' and that the club would like to find a way to trade down.
But, in the end, King makes a fine point about what Bijan would look like in a Falcons uniform, writing, "Tell me: Would there be a team in the NFC South that’s better in in-prime offensive weaponry than Atlanta?''
The investment in recent drafts in those weapons has been a steep one, with tight end Kyle Pitts (No. 4 overall pick in 2021) and wide receiver Drake London (No. 8 overall pick in 2022) the prizes in the last two drafts. But the payoff can be great as well.
And the other running back King has going in the first round? It involves the Philadelphia Eagles, who he believes will take Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 30 overall.
That's a first-round pick, but not a "high'' pick in the sense that it still folds into the concept of the "devaluation'' of the position, because there is a good chance that some teams have a first-round grade on Gibbs.
Meanwhile, there are teams that think Gibbs is on pair with Robinson as an NFL prospect, an idea that - if this mock comes true - the Atlanta Falcons obviously do not quite agree with.
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