Bijan Robinson is ready to be the face of the Atlanta Falcons franchise

Look for Bijan Robinson to become a household name as the new face of the Atlanta Falcons.

The future is now for the Atlanta Falcons, and Bijan Robinson is excited to play a huge part in that.

The NFL may be a quarterback-driven league, but who the Falcons drafted at running No. 8 out of Texas last spring is a potential game-changer. It became pretty clear throughout the draft process the Falcons were one of the teams that were most interested in taking him. He confirmed it to me in our conversation about how we got here, what is next and what we want to do going forward.

Robinson radiated with impeccable positivity throughout our entire conversation on behalf of Mercedes-Benz USA and YMCA of Metro Atlanta.

"“Yeah, I mean, it was actually like a couple of months before the draft is really when I started to get in contact with them. They came out to visit in Austin. We had such a really good visit. Like, it was an amazing visit. We did some off-field stuff, then we went to go eat and just kind of enjoyed the conversation with each other. But as soon as they left, I was feeling really good about the meeting. As time started going on, I started understanding they definitely could be in the run for potentially getting me. It wasn’t that many teams, but it was a couple heading in that direction and definitely wanted to. But man, it was really cool to get to know them before they even picked me up.”"

Upon arriving in Atlanta, the former Texas Longhorns star has begun to make his new town and his new place of employment home. Whether he is doing interview requests or working with kids to help enrich their lives in the community, the Falcons’ rookie running back seems to get the big picture. He has the chance to be Atlanta’s next Warrick Dunn, possibly even a hall-of-fame player.

The head this man has on his shoulders could be what it takes to bring the Falcons back to glory.

Bijan Robinson is ready to be the face of the Atlanta Falcons into this new era

Robinson joins a Falcons offense that is grossly underrated and versatile. Yes, we still need to see what Desmond Ridder can be in his first year as the starting quarterback, but whether it be Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield, Kyle Pitts at tight end, Drake London out wide or Chris Lindstrom and boys blocking up front for him, Robinson sees how the pieces fit in Atlanta.

"“That’s why they got me. To add to what’s already being built there with all the obviously amazing players. For me just to be a piece in that offense. The cool thing about those guys is not only are they amazing football players, but they’re all just super good people. And that’s what Terry (Fontenot) and Coach (Arthur) Smith are really putting into this. You want the best players that are committed to the team and can be effective for the team … So that’s why I really like what they’re doing and the direction that they’re taking the team in.”"

While I certainly appreciate Robinson’s humbleness in all of this, he was the No. 8 overall pick out of Texas and won the Doak Walker on an ascending Longhorns team. In a day and age where the running back position is being marginalized by pass-heavy offenses, we could be in for a ground-and-pound renaissance in Atlanta. Robinson faces big expectations, but he is clearly built for this.

When I talk to my friends who casually follow the NFL and major college football, I get a lot of questions about who Robinson plays like and what he is all about. I’ve always gone back to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk of yesteryear, as well as some combination of Deebo Samuel, Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey from today’s game. He said I was spot-on!

"“Those are the guys right there, like, you got the guys perfectly. I mean, I love watching those guys because they can do it all. They are so effective in the pass game, just like they are in the run game. I think that when you got a player who can execute so many different things, you create so many different mismatches in the process. When you have that and all that awesome talent that’s already on the offense, it’ll be just really hard to stop. But yeah, those are some of the guys right there that I really looked up to a lot and that I’ve been watching a lot throughout my whole life, especially as a football player.”"

While Samuel has been more reluctant to be a runner, all five role models Robinson has patterned his game after are either in the Pro Football Hall of Fame or are on their way toward Canton. Like I said before, he has another fantastic role model in-house in Falcons legend and minority owner Warrick Dunn. If Robinson is the 2020s version of Dunn, the Blank Family would be over the moon.

Yes, it’s early and no, we haven’t played any games that count yet, but this feels different. I feel like my hometown team is getting an incredibly likable and productive player that is 1000 percent worth building around. We have to play the games of course, but after speaking with Robinson, it is undeniable why the Falcons’ brass was so high on him. He is a leader and a real culture-changer.

Overall, this team has been looking for something like this for quite a while. It hasn’t been all bad since 28-3, but these last few years have been challenging, no doubt. Like Robinson said, the Falcons have plenty of good people in the building, not just on offense, but on the defensive side of the ball, too. He mentioned newcomer Jessie Bates III, Grady Jarrett and A.J. Terrell in particular.

Ultimately, this would be a great year for the Falcons to have a great year. The NFC is still somewhat down and the NFC South is totally up for grabs. Tampa Bay probably has the worst shot at winning the division, but Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans all will have their opportunities. For now, you have to love the Falcons’ offensive identity to guide their way forward.

No matter how he plays on the field, the Falcons have drafted a world-class human in Robinson.

Bijan Robinson spoke to FanSided on behalf of Mercedes-Benz USA and YMCA of Metro Atlanta.

“Driving Your Future” is Mercedes-Benz USA’s corporate social responsibility initiative to support educational programs that empower the next generation. As part of our commitment to positively impact communities where employees live and work, MBUSA has partnered with Safe Kids Worldwide and Junior Achievement USA to create and support programs focused on technology and sustainability, career readiness, and injury prevention to help the next generation succeed.