The Atlanta Falcons spent quite a bit of draft capital on former Texas Longhorns standout Bijan Robinson, selecting him with the No. 8 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Most would assume he would have a big role in the Falcons offense immediately, but that may not be the case.
Robinson’s impressive stats at Texas certainly warranted such a high selection in the draft for Robinson. He recorded a whopping 1,580 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in his final collegiate season.
He undoubtedly has a ton of upside and will likely be among the elite running backs in the league at some point in his career. However, that may not be something that comes quickly.
The Falcons released their first training camp depth chart on Tuesday, and Robinson was listed as the third-string at his position behind fellow running backs Cordarrelle Patterson and Tyler Allgeier.
There is still plenty of time for Robinson to earn the starting job, but it is worth noting that Patterson and Allgeier were quietly among the best running back duos in all of football last season. The Falcons rushed for the third most yards in all of football last year.
This could simply be a respect factor from the Falcons’ coaching staff towards the players who have been in the system. But it is still at least somewhat concerning that he is so far down the depth chart with only a month before the start of the regular season.
[Atlanta Falcons team website]
