Atlanta drafted Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 overall pick in 2023.
One year before the Atlanta Falcons shocked the NFL by drafting Michael Penix Jr. with the No. 8 pick, they surprised the league with another top-10 selection. Back in 2023, the team drafted running back Bijan Robinson with the eighth overall pick.
Even though Robinson was highly regarded coming out of Texas, the Falcons had just selected Tyler Allgeier in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft the year prior. Allgeier rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie, but former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith couldn’t resist the idea of adding the versatile Robinson to the backfield.
Atlanta went on to take offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron in the second round, and while that pick was not well received at the time, it would become one the best selections of Terry Fontenot’s tenure as general manager.
CBS Sports originally gave the Falcons a C-minus for their 2023 draft, but Pete Prisco bumped that grade up to a solid “B” in a new feature regrading each class.
“They took running back Bijan Robinson with the eighth pick, which has worked out well for them,” wrote Prisco. “He is a star back. They took starting guard Matthew Bergeron in the second and third-round edge Zach Harrison started seven games last year, but missed time with a knee injury.”
So, why didn’t Prisco initially like Atlanta’s 2023 draft class?
“I didn’t love the Robinson pick, even though I thought he’d be a good player,” explained Prisco. “I just don’t like taking backs that high. I liked fourth-round corner Clark Phillips III, who started every game in 2024, but played just one last season after suffering a triceps injury. This was a solid draft.”
Many people questioned the Robinson pick at the time, and there were a few reasons for that. Aside from having Allgeier on the roster, the Falcons had a clear need at quarterback at the time. Marcus Mariota proved not to be the answer, nor was former third-round pick Desmond Ridder.
The Falcons have since hired Matt Ryan to be their president of football, assuring they won’t overlook the game’s most important position in the future.
