The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Bijan Robinson selected in first round of NFL Draft by Atlanta Falcons
04.27.2023 | Football
Texas RB Bijan Robinson was selected in the first round with the eighth overall pick.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Texas running back Bijan Robinson was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the eighth overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday evening.
Robinson is the 45th first-round NFL draft choice in Texas history, the last occurring in 2015 when Malcom Brown was selected 32nd overall by the New England Patriots. He is the first Texas running back selected in the first round since Cedric Benson was drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Bears in 2005 and the first Longhorn running back drafted since D'Onta Foreman was chosen in the third round of the 2017 draft by the Houston Texans.
Robinson is the sixth Texas player drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in program history and the first since defensive tackle Ta'Quon Graham was picked in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. He is the second Longhorn chosen in the first round by Atlanta, joining Tommy Nobis who was the number one overall pick in 1966.
"Bijan is a really special player. As I've said all along, he's a better human being than football player, which is hard for a lot of guys when you're that talented," said Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. "He has unbelievable work ethic, outstanding leadership, he's team captain worthy, and has Pro Bowl ability. He checks all the boxes. The Atlanta Falcons are getting a uniquely versatile player. He can run between the tackles, run outside the tackles, make people miss in tight quarters, he's got great contact balance, is an excellent receiver, and has a high football IQ. You name it, he's got it.
"All of those things make him truly special from a running back perspective. But on top of that, he'll be an awesome teammate, great in their locker room, tremendous in the community and just someone that they'll be so proud of to have in their organization. We absolutely love him so much here and can't wait to watch him in the NFL."
The 2022 Doak Walker Award winner and a unanimous All-American selection, Robinson was the fourth Longhorn to win the Doak Walker Award and fourth UT running back to earn unanimous All-America accolades.
The Tucson, Ariz. native played in 31 games and made 28 starts during his three seasons on the Forty Acres. He ranks fourth all-time in Longhorn history with 3,410 rushing yards, 41 total touchdowns (33 rushing, eight receiving) and 4,215 tandem yards (3,410 rushing, 805 receiving). His 33 career rushing touchdowns are the third-most in program history, while his 4,231 all-purpose yards rank eighth and his 246 total points scored are ninth. Robinson finished his collegiate career with 18 career 100-yard rushing games, the fourth-most in UT history, which included a streak of seven-straight games in 2022 that is the third-longest in program history. A versatile back, Robinson's hauled in 60 receptions for 805 yards (13.4 ypc) and eight touchdowns, with the 805 receiving yards ranking third all-time by a Texas running back.
As a junior in 2022, Robinson was a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award and a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Award. He finished second in the nation in tandem yards with 1,894 (1,580 rushing, 314 receiving) and third in total touchdowns (20) while averaging a Big 12-best 131.7 rushing yards and 157.83 all-purpose yards per game. He had nine 100-yard rushing games in his last 10 outings, including a pair of 200-yard efforts, and rushed for a touchdown in 10 of 12 games this year with multiple rushing touchdowns on five occasions. Robinson tallied 100 yards from scrimmage 11 times and notched 200-plus yards on three occasions. He had 18 plays (11 rushes, 7 receptions) of 20-plus yards this season, including touchdown runs of 78, 42, 41, 40, 36 and 31 yards.
Last season, he ranked fifth nationally in rushing touchdowns (18), all-purpose yards (157.83 ypg) and scoring (10.0 ppg), sixth in rushing yards (1,580) and rushing yards per game (131.7) and eighth in total points scored (120), while leading the Big 12 in each category. His 1,580 rushing yards on the year were the seventh-most in a season in program history, while his 18 rushing touchdowns and nine 100-yard rushing games were fifth all time.
Robinson earned Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week honors after a dominating performance in a 55-14 victory at Kansas. He rushed for a career-high 243 yards on 25 carries (9.7 ypc) and a career-best four touchdowns. His 243 yards rushing were the 16th-most in a game in UT history.
In addition to his unanimous selection as a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, the Associated Press, the FWAA, the Sporting News and the WCFF and earning the Doak Walker Award, he was recognized as a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Award. Robinson was also unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 First Team.
During his sophomore campaign, Robinson was named first-team All-Big 12 by conference coaches and the Associated Press and was a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award after rushing for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games.
NFL DRAFT NOTES
First Round Draft Picks
• First Longhorn First-Round pick since 2015 (DT Malcom Brown)
• Robinson is the first Longhorn selected in the top-10 since Vince Young (2006), and 24th top-10 selection all-time
• First Longhorn selected with the eighth overall pick in the draft
All-Time Longhorn RBs picked in the First Round (4th in Top 10)
• Earl Campbell (1, 1978)
• Cedric Benson (4, 2005)
• Ricky Williams (5, 1999)
• Bijan Robinson (8, 2023)
• Eric Metcalf (13, 1989)
Other Notes
• Robinson is the 353rd Longhorn selected in the NFL Draft
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Bijan Robinson
On receiving the call from the Falcons:
"My heart just stopped for a second. It was crazy. When I answered the phone there was immediate excitement from the GM, the coaches and obviously myself and my family. It was kind of hard to here because everyone was so excited when I got that call. It was a moment you'll never forget. It's just so amazing."
On what the team told him:
"They said, 'you just fit. You're going to fit right in here when it comes to personality and the way I play on the field. We're going to try and maximize my skill set. The told me, 'It's time to go. It's time to get ready.' That boosts my confidence off the bat to know that the accept me and excited to bring me into the team."
On the Atlanta Falcons:
"It's a young offense with so much great talent. We're going to try to build something special. Hopefully we can stay together and play together for a long time."
On what the City of Atlanta and Falcons fans can expect:
"They're just getting just such a positive guy that obviously loves football but [also] wants to help the city grow ... For me, my heart is out there for everybody. I'm going to bring my faith, my positivity, my happiness, my smile to every kid, every teenager, every adult, everybody out there. So, I hope they accept me for me and it's going to be great time."
ON SOCIAL MEDIA
What a moment for @Bijan5Robinson
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 30, 2023
📱 @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/9rMBEpr91j
A message from a few Longhorn Legends 🗣️@Bijan5Robinson 🤘 pic.twitter.com/EATqAEqVjn
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
The draft card that made @Bijan5Robinson to the @AtlantaFalcons official ✍️
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
2023 #NFLDraft – April 27-29 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/LS4TcsxKUJ
It was always the @AtlantaFalcons for @Bijan5Robinson 🤝 pic.twitter.com/Uaxva7sF7P
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2023
The people are talking about @Bijan5Robinson 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/c4xzGopOVY
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
Swing for the fences pic.twitter.com/iT3HpE8CVF
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
Get your popcorn ready Falcons fans 🍿@Bijan5Robinson x @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/hLHBFuD5Ms
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
The moment the pick was made 🤘@Bijan5Robinson x @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/6cvWELzieR
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
That's a wrap on Draft night! 5️⃣ signing off 🤘 @Bijan5Robinson pic.twitter.com/wN0qUUVbDy
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
Let's go get this run! pic.twitter.com/dfj9uEPDGr
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
Always a Longhorn. Thank you 5 🤘🧡 pic.twitter.com/sNXMupVSfy
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
Things are coming in rapidly after night one of the #NFLDraft! pic.twitter.com/2lHHjU8iNg
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
"On the website, it may say running back, but he's more than a running back."
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) April 28, 2023
The track record of recent RB success in Atlanta bodes well for Bijan Robinson's role in this offense. Why? Because it's an offense already set up for him. More here: https://t.co/isPaqP80qm
We got some beef from Texas pic.twitter.com/4dVQberNoY
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
"They said, 'You just fit. You're going to fit right in here when it comes to personality and the way [you] play on the field.'"https://t.co/joNDM1GLeU
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) April 28, 2023
THE call pic.twitter.com/YwF3CFiKLO
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
ATX 🛫 ATL@Bijan5Robinson x @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/u79IWVl6v6
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
Atlanta, meet @Bijan5Robinson 🤘
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
2023 #NFLDraft – April 27-29 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/jWAdLjRHU9
✅ Unanimous First-Team All-American
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
✅ 4th in rushing yards in TX history
✅ 3rd in rushing TDs in TX history
✅ Doak Walker Award Winner
✅ Top 10 NFL Draft Pick
🎨: @jaketyyler pic.twitter.com/RU5XQsibXy
Congrats @Bijan5Robinson
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) April 28, 2023
One of the greatest I've ever seen put on that burnt orange. @AtlantaFalcons got a star!! Let's go
Some spicy Bijan mustard pic.twitter.com/QcxEJsCkkP
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
With the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 @NFLDraft, the @AtlantaFalcons select Bijan Robinson!@NewEraCap | #DirtyBirds
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2023
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKdIw pic.twitter.com/a5KUONJYo7
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
Bet you can't watch this video of @Bijan5Robinson without smiling. ☺️ @invisalign
— NFL (@NFL) April 28, 2023
📺: 2023 #NFLDraft on NFLN/ESPN/ABC
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/D3EqkrKdIw pic.twitter.com/EVlN2qAQK4
Austin to ATL‼️
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2023
With the 8th pick, the Falcons got their RB in Bijan Robinson. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/CqKbPrvTjU
From ATX to ATL
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) April 28, 2023
Welcome, @Bijan5Robinson!
Dreams to reality 🧡
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
2023 #NFLDraft📷 – April 27-29 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/0y7827Ix75
ATL 🤝 Bijan@Bijan5Robinson X @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/BD4aT1J7JG
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
Bijan Robinson is a Atlanta Falcon!@Bijan5Robinson X @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/dZtWPSjcY3
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) April 28, 2023
