Falcons WR Drake London Impressed by ‘Level-Headed’ Bijan Robinson
In a few months, there's a very real chance that Atlanta Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson will emerge as one of the NFL's elite running backs. For the time being, the No. 8 overall pick is just keeping his head down, already earning the respect of some of his new teammates.
Count second-year wide receiver Drake London among those who have been impressed by Robinson during OTAs.
"What I've seen so far from Bijan, level-headed kid, very, very humble, he works hard, he doesn't say much," London said. "So, already right now, he's on a great path with coach Smith (and) what he's done with Kyle and me. So, just keep him on the right path and he'll do great."
Like Robinson, London was the No. 8 overall pick in his draft class, hauling in 72 passes for 866 yards and four touchdowns in his rookie season. Mind you, London put up this production in a run-first offense largely quarterbacked by Marcus Mariota, so there's reason to think that the 6-5 wideout could take a major step forward in his second season if head coach Arthur Smith opens up the offense with Desmond Ridder at quarterback for the full season.
Then again, Smith got a head coaching job based on the work he did as Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator. Make no mistake, the Titans offense under Smith saw Ryan Tannehill thrive in play-action situations. But they were a run-first unit, led by Derrick Henry.
And despite the presences of London and tight end Kyle Pitts -- also a former top-10 pick -- there's no reason to believe that Atlanta won't try to win games using their rushing attack primarily.
Robinson can be a weapon in the pass game as well, but he rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns in his final collegiate season at Texas. He's probably the best running back prospect to be drafted since the New York Giants took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Additionally, Robinson is joining a backfield where Tyler Allgeier rushed for over 1,000 yards after being selected in the fifth round out of BYU in last year's NFL Draft. Robinson and Allgeier figure to form quite the one-two punch for Smith to lean on, and potentially not have to worry about running either into the ground.
And in a wide-open NFC South, could Robinson's addition help a talented young offensive core in Atlanta reach the postseason in 2023? It's certainly not out of the question.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Falcons? Click Here.
Follow Falcon Report on Twitter.
Want even more Atlanta Falcons news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
