The Atlanta Falcons made the bold decision to draft former Texas Longhorns running back Bijan Robinson with the No. 8 overall selection of the 2023 NFL Draft,
Many criticized the Falcons for using the No. 8 selection on Robinson last year. For one, they already had a 1,000-yard rusher in Tyler Allgeier. On top of that, they had plenty of other needs to address in the deep class.
But Bijan Robinson did not need long to silence the doubters. He emerged as the star of the Falcons’ offense, racking up 976 rushing yards, four touchdowns and 58 receptions for 487 yards and four touchdowns.
While the value for running backs in today’s NFL has gone down significantly, Robinson is viewed as a rare talent similar to Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, who can break off a long touchdown run making defenders miss left and right while still thriving as a reliable pass catcher who can be lined up in various positions on offense.
Last year was clearly not what the Atlanta Falcons envisioned — and while Bijan Robinson certainly flashed the greatness that was on display at Texas — it’s clear he has so much more to show the NFL world in his second season.
The Falcons brass are banking on the addition of veteran QB Kirk Cousins, who they inked to a massive deal last week, to finally be the missing piece that can maximize a bevy of offensive weapons. Cousins has always gotten the ball in the hands of his playmakers — and with talent like Kyle Pitts and tight end — and Drake London on the outside at WR, there will be plenty of opportunities for Robinson to shine as both a runner and receiver.
One thing the Falcons brass may not have known was their star running back’s ability to accurately predict college basketball games in the NCAA Tournament.
Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson Has Social Media In A Frenzy With Perfect March Madness Bracket After Day 1
There’s absolutely no denying Robinson’s talent on the gridiron, but on Thursday night as March Madness began, the Falcons dynamic ball-carrier proved he has a gift for predicting college basketball games with the NCAA tournament underway.
At 10:18 p.m. EST on Thursday evening, the official NCAA March Madness men’s basketball X/Twitter account revealed that Bijan Robinson still has a perfect bracket. Here’s the photographic evidence:
.@Bijan5Robinson KNOWS BALL 🏀
His bracket is STILL perfect 😱#MarchMadness https://t.co/hhxN2JjYjj
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2024
Yes, the Atlanta Falcons RB somehow had the feeling that the Oakland Golden Grizzlies would beat the powerhouse and No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats. The No. 14 ranked Golden Grizzlies pulled off the stunning upset by a final score of 80-76.
At the time of the post from the NCAA celebrating the Robinson’s accomplishment, there were still three games in play. He predicted those correctly too and they were far from locks. No. 11 NC State knocked off No. 6 Texas Tech, and while plenty of people predicted No. 7 Washington State to fall to No, 10 Drake, the Cougars pulled off a close win.
Robinson had a scare when No. 13 Samford came back from 20 points in the second half to give Kansas a scare, but the No. 4 Jayhawks prevailed in a nail biter.
So with all day 1 games complete, Bijan Robinson remains perfect.
As of 11:00 p.m. EST, only 12,833 of ESPN’s March Madness brackets remained perfect, with over 22.1 million already being busted. So if you’re among the lucky 12,833, enjoy the perfection while you have it.
Here’s how social media reacted to the news of Robinson’s (so far) perfect March Madness bracket. And yes, even the Atlanta Falcons themselves chimed in on the matter:
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) March 22, 2024
One of the few celebs/pro athletes who may actually know what they're doing with brackets.
— Eric Hovland (@EricJHovland) March 22, 2024
Ok so @Bijan5Robinson is a time traveler. Got it. Whats them Powerball and Mega Million numbers sir?
— Clint DeHaven (@ClintDeHaven) March 22, 2024
The UConn Huskies are the defending champions, having defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 76-59 in the championship. The No. 1 ranked Huskies will begin their title defense on Friday when they square off against the Stetson Hatters.
And yes, Bijan Robinson picked the Huskies to win that game.
The Atlanta Falcons may have a player even more talented than they knew when they drafted him.
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