Bijan Robinson was the first running back selected in the top 20 of the NFL Draft in five years, and will get carries with the Atlanta Falcons for the next several years -- one of the top rushing offenses in the NFL. There will be high expectations for Robinson, only increased by the jersey number he'll don in Atlanta.
The Falcons announced Robinson will wear No. 7 for the franchise, the same number Michael Vick wore when he was one of the most electrifying players in the league in the 2000s. Younghoe Koo previously wore No. 7, but he'll switch to a different number for 2023.
Robinson is expected to be an integral piece in the Falcons' rushing attack, as Atlanta was third in the NFL in rush yards per game (159.9) and second in rush-play percentage (55.3%) last season. Robinson had the fourth-most rush yards (3,410) in Texas program history, behind only Ricky Williams, Cedric Benson, and Earl Campbell. He had 258 carries for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns (6.1 yards per carry) last season, while averaging 16.5 yards per catch (19 catches).
"I just want to be a piece in that offense, man, and do as much as I can no matter where they line me up at," Robinson said. "I'm just trying to help the offense. Obviously, help the whole team. You know, make us the team that we are.
"I know that the rushing attack is really, really good, with a really good running back already. Man, I just want to go in there and learn from him and be a good teammate, and hopefully we can make something special happen out of it."
Koo is the only Falcons player to wear No. 7 since Vick, making the Pro Bowl in 2020. Vick made three Pro Bowls with the Falcons in his six seasons with the franchise, leading the NFL in yards per carry four times and becoming the first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
Vick is the all-time leader for rushing yards by a quarterback with 6,109, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. The Falcons would certainly take that historic yards-per-carry
