Draft Rumors: Falcons 'Really Want' to Trade Down, 'Like' Bijan Robinson
It's officially draft week, one of the most chaotically enjoyable weeks on the NFL calendar - and the fun is only just beginning.
As rumors begin to swirl, determining what's legitimate and what's not is a challenge, but there's always a certain direction that smoke blows - and a pair of insiders reported similar things for the Atlanta Falcons, who enter the week holding the No. 8 overall selection.
SI's Albert Breer revealed that Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot has "explored the idea of falling back a few slots" while noting that Texas running back Bijan Robinson "has come up pretty consistently" with Atlanta, potentially in a trade-down situation.
NBC Sports' Peter King, who has correctly predicted each of Atlanta's two first-round picks under Fontenot, hit on similar points, talking about both trading the pick and selecting Robinson.
"I do know the Falcons really want to trade down, and I do know they like Robinson," King writes. "Because he’s the best running back in the draft and has the rare ability to segue into receiver mode with great hands and strong slot capabilities."
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said last week to "don't sleep" on the possibility of the Falcons drafting Robinson, who earned unanimous All-American honors after running for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging over six yards per carry.
The 21-year-old Robinson had a formal meeting with Atlanta's decision makers at the NFL Combine and raved about the coaching staff.
"It went great, it went great," Robinson said. "I love the whole staff - just great people, first off, and I can tell what they're trying to do with the program. I think we'll see going down the line where it goes, where it ends up, how it goes."
The dilemma, of course, is the Falcons just drafted Tyler Allgeier in the fifth-round last year, and he's fresh off breaking the franchise rookie rushing record with 1,035 yards.
But adding Robinson would give Atlanta one of the most versatile and dangerous cores of young playmakers in the NFL, as he and Allgeier would pair with tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Drake London to give second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder plenty of weapons.
Sitting at No. 8, the Falcons are in a strong spot to move down, as it's certainly plausible for a team eyeing an offensive tackle or quarterback to target Atlanta's selection as a good value spot.
Further, the Falcons are staring at a considerable gap between picks in the middle of the draft, going from No. 113 in the fourth round to No. 224 in the seventh, and Fontenot has done some of his finest work in the middle rounds, adding players like Allgeier, defensive lineman Ta'Quon Graham and return specialist Avery Williams.
As such, the Falcons look to be a very realistic candidate to trade down in the first round - and Robinson may just be the apple of their eye, at least in the eyes of several league insiders.
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