Following his stellar sophomore campaign, in which he ran for over 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns, Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson “has clear Offensive Player of the Year potential entering his third season,” writes Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus.
Robinson ‘Quietly Took a Massive Step Forward’ in 2024
Wasserman chose one player who has the chance to become the best at each position, selecting Robinson for the running back spot. He notes that Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson “quietly took a massive step forward,” but was “overshadowed” by free agent acquisitions Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs.
He also notes that the “instability at quarterback” for the Falcons kept them from reaching the same heights as the other teams with elite running backs. Despite that, Robinson still ranked second in rushing grade, according to Pro Football Focus, only trailing Baltimore Ravens star running back Derrick Henry.
“Robinson’s 92.8 rushing grade ranked second among all running backs, trailing only Henry,” writes Wasserman. “He also finished top-five in yards after contact, missed tackles forced, explosive runs and receiving grade. Running behind one of the league’s elite offensive lines — and with Michael Penix Jr. now entrenched as the Falcons’ starting quarterback — Robinson should benefit from defenses needing to respect Atlanta’s vertical passing game more than they did with Kirk Cousins.”
“If Penix delivers, Robinson has clear Offensive Player of the Year potential entering his third season,” writes Wasserman.
Bijan Robinson Ranked as No. 4 Running Back in NFL Following 2024 Season
Following the 2024 NFL season, NFL.com Analyst Maurice Jones-Drew ranked his top running backs. The former Jacksonville Jaguars All-Pro running back ranked Saquon Barkley first, followed by Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs, with Robinson landing at No. 4.
Jones-Drew notes that Robinson “thrived as the focal point of the Falcons offense” in 2024, setting him up to continue his ascension toward the top of the rankings heading into this season.
“Much like Gibbs in Detroit, Robinson built on his promising rookie season in Year 2, elevating his game in his first season under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson,” writes Jones-Drew. “Finishing third in rushing yards and tying for fifth in rushing touchdowns, Bijan thrived as the focal point of the Falcons offense, generating five 100-yard rushing games (three more than he had in 2023). Bijan is in the perfect spot to continue building in Year 3.”
Falcons’ Running Back Room Ranked as Top-Tier ‘Dynamic Duo’
In his article separating each running back room in the NFL into tiers, CBS Sports‘ Tyler Sullivan praised the duo of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, saying that Robinson “is ascending towards becoming the top running back in the NFL.” Sullivan ranked Robinson and Allgeier as the No. 2 duo, following only the Detroit Lions‘ duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, also known as “Sonic and Knuckles.”
“At just 23 years old, Robinson should only improve, which is a scary proposition for the rest of the league,” writes Sullivan. “Meanwhile, Allgeier continues to be one of the more underrated backs in the league. Whenever he’s given an opportunity, the fourth-year pro delivers. For reference, Robinson averaged 4.8 yards per carry last season, and Allgeier was right behind him at 4.7.”
Falcons Star Running Back Has ‘Offensive Player of the Year Potential’