Whenever you take a running back with the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft, the expectation is that he’s going to have a prominent role in the offense.
However, that wasn’t the case with Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite being one of the most prominent running back prospects we had seen in years, he only averaged 12.6 carries per game in his first season in the league.
He finished the year with 976 rushing yards (4.6 yards per carry), also hauling in 58 receptions for 487 yards and eight total touchdowns.
Needless to say, he wasn’t satisfied with that kind of usage under coach Arthur Smith.
So, now that he’s back on the field after missing some time with an ankle injury, he claimed that he expected to have an expanded role in the offense next season, similar to what Christian McCaffrey does with the San Francisco 49ers (via Barstool Sports).
Fantasy Football owners are foaming at the mouth hearing Bijan Robinson share the plan is for him to be used like CMC
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 3, 2024
Robinson averaged 21.5 carries in his final season with the Texas Longhorns, so he clearly can handle a bigger workload.
The Falcons will have a new offensive coordinator and a new head coach making decisions, and it would only make sense to make the most of their dual-threat elite prospect.
For context, McCaffrey averaged 21.2 touches (17 carries) per game last season when he ran away with NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors.
And while he’s a special kind of talent and players shouldn’t always be comparing themselves to him, there’s no reason to believe Robinson can’t have a similar production in his sophomore year.
