Execs, coaches, and scouts name Bijan Robinson the NFL’s best running back

The Falcons haven’t had a lot to cheer about since Matt Ryan and Julio Jones were in their primes, but they can say they’ve got the best running back in the game.

ESPN recently polled a group of executives, scouts, and coaches, asking them to rank the top running backs in the league. Coming in at #1 was Atlanta’s own Bijan Robinson.

“Robinson edged Gibbs despite a tight vote; the Detroit runner registered nearly as many first-place votes, but Robinson won with an average rating of 1.78 in the composite voting,” Jeremy Fowler wrote.

“His overall body of work is undeniable. He led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage in 2025, breaking William Andrews’ franchise record from 1983 (2,176). He joins Andrews and Julio Jones as the only Falcons to lead the NFL in scrimmage yards.”

Robinson came into the league viewed by most as a finished product — an elite runner who paired incredible agility with strength and speed in a 215-pound frame. The league had trouble bringing him down from the very first week of his rookie season, but the great ones are never satisfied.

Robinson has somehow found a way to get better every year since, culminating in a third season that saw him lead the entire league in scrimmage yards on his way to first-team All-Pro honors and a fourth-place finish in the Offensive Player of the Year race.

The biggest difference was his development as a receiver. Robinson had always been capable in that area, but he doubled his receiving output from his first two seasons, emerging as arguably the Falcons’ second most dangerous receiving weapon — hauling in 79 balls for 820 yards and four touchdowns.

The other thing we saw a lot more of in year three was his breakaway speed. He was never viewed as a back who lacked explosiveness, but the home runs didn’t really come over his first two seasons. It’s something he talked about improving heading into the 2025 campaign.

“We’re done with 30-yard runs and all that stuff,” Robinson said. “Now it’s time to get those 60 yards, 50 yards. So, I’ve been doing a lot more explosive drills. I’ve been doing a lot more running — 100 yards, like sprinting — so we can be prepared for, God willing, when those moments come in all the games.”

That extra work paid off. Robinson ripped off the longest run of the entire NFL season, a 93-yard touchdown on Monday Night Football against the Rams, and added an 81-yard score against the Bills earlier in the year.

From the outside, there isn’t a single aspect of his game that isn’t damn close to perfect. He’s even one of the best pass blockers at the position — a nightmare for blitzing linebackers who think they’ve found a lane to the quarterback. Robinson is what comes out when a kid builds the ideal running back in Madden: a blessing on and off the field, and someone the Falcons should be looking to keep in Atlanta for a very long time.

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(Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire)