FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Bijan Robinson's 2024 campaign qualifies as a breakout season in every conceivable way.
The second-year running back became just the fifth player in Falcons history to gain 1,800 scrimmage yards in a single season, and he finished fourth among all NFL players in 2024 with 1,887. He finished sixth in touchdowns with 15, third in rushing yards with 1,456 and second in missed tackles forced with 99.
And yet, despite all that he's accomplished, the Falcons have a clear vision for how Robinson can make yet another leap in Year 3.
"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."
Perhaps the primary focus for Robinson and the Falcons' staff is an uptick in the number of truly explosive plays on the ground. The exact number may vary between teams, but an explosive run can be defined as any carry that gains between 10-15 yards. According to TruMedia, Robinson had 28 carries of at least 12 yards last season, which ranked fourth among all NFL players.
Not too shabby.
But if those 12-yard gains are akin to a double in baseball, the Falcons hope for more triples and home runs in 2025.
"I work on it every single day," Robinson said. "Obviously, the explosives, we always want them. We've added so many things to this offense so we can create more explosives. And, for me, sometimes it's that one defender, but now that's all. That's what I've been working on all offseason, just seeing that free hitter and making moves off him."
Given how electric Robinson was in 2024, it might seem odd he and the Falcons are placing such an emphasis on improving his long-distance playmaking. Well, here's the rub.
The three players with more explosive runs than Robinson last season were Derrick Henry (37), Jahmyr Gibbs (34) and Saquon Barkley (30). Each of those three players also had a carry that gained at least 70 yards; Robinson's longest run in 2024 went for 37 yards.
Put simply: Robinson offered as high a floor on his carries as any player in the league, but his ceiling, in terms of distance gained, proved to be lower than other elite runners.
"He is so talented," Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. "His vision, the way he can see and feel in tight quarters is unlike anything I have ever seen. We just hope for that uptick with the explosives."
Robinson will be well supported in his efforts to increase that big-play frequency.
The Falcons have a well-established offensive line with returning continuity among the five starters and a quality run-blocking tight end in Charlie Woerner. Robinson has an ideal backfield teammate in Tyler Allgeier, who can spell him for stretches if needed, and will be aided by a passing attack that looked promising under Michael Penix Jr. late last season.
"I've been gifted to do stuff like this, so now it's on me, and the O-line, and the team and just the timing," Robinson said. And how I see defenders, and how I break down defenders — because I can break defenders down in holes, and I can break them down two at a time."
Few players are as adept at shaking tacklers as Robinson, who has even turned to NBA legend Allen Iverson for inspiration in his ankle-breaking pursuits. According to Next Gen Stats, he was the only player to reach 20 miles per hour by the time he crossed the line of scrimmage last season, and his average of 11.17 miles per hour at the line of scrimmage was best among running backs last year.
Robinson possesses all of the tools to become a touchdown threat from anywhere on the field — and that's the goal. In his second training camp, Robinson showed marked improvement in his pass protection, a primary objective for him last offseason. The growth he showed in that aspect of his game, an area he struggled as a rookie, should provide optimism that Robinson can once again make strides.
"Ok, here's Year 1 — this is the vision," Falcons running backs coach Michael Pitre said. "Now, we've started having those conversations for Year 2 and what's the vision. You don't have a guy like that on your team and not try to find every way to take advantage of his gifts and his abilities, because he can help this team in a lot of ways."
Although Robinson ranked fourth among running backs in the number of 12-plus-yard carries last year, he was tied for 17th in the number of runs that gained at least 20 yards.
The goal for Atlanta's star running back this offseason is to bridge that gap. In all other metrics, Robinson rightfully sits alongside the likes of Henry, Barkley and Gibbs. However, those three players had 19, 17 and 13 carries of 20-plus yards, respectively, in 2024.
If Robinson can join that trio in 2025, it will mean big things for Atlanta's offense.
"We all want it. We're all waiting for that Saquon type of season when it comes to explosives," Robinson said. "But I've been working on it a lot this offseason. And, obviously, when it gets to the season, it's time to go show it and go do the work the right way."
