Falcons' Grady Jarrett: Bijan Robinson 'Just Looks Different'
There's not really a definition for what someone who has the "it factor" demonstrates, you just know it when you see it. And perhaps the most respected veteran on the Atlanta Falcons believes that rookie running back Bijan Robinson has "it."
Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett -- who has 420 combined tackles and 106 quarterback hits in eight seasons -- says he's been impressed by Robinson in his first summer with the team.
“I think just the movement skills,” Jarrett said of what has impressed him about Robinson to Pro Talk. “When you’ve been in the league going on nine years now you know with certain guys just look different.
“Certain dudes, you can just see the way they move. That it’s special the way you carry yourself. He’s going to be a heck of a player. He’s put so much tape out already through his college career but I am sure they are going to have a great plan for him. I don’t see him missing a beat. The better he does, the better for the team.”
Of course, when you take a running back with the No. 8 overall pick, the expectation is that they will immediately perform like a star. Granted, there's a belief that Robinson will also be a major factor as a receiver, but the 1,580 yards that he rushed for in his final collegiate season at Texas were the biggest factor in him becoming the most highly-touted running back to enter the NFL since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Atlanta -- led by coach Arthur Smith, who previously helped Derrick Henry and the Tenneesee Titans reached the AFC Championship Game as their offensive coordinator -- is perhaps the perfect place for Robinson to land. While it remains unclear if the Falcons have their long-term answer at quarterback in Desmond Ridder, Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson could form a dominant enough trio in the backfield for Atlanta to compete in the wide-open NFC South.
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