The NFL’s top running back debate has a clear answer for ESPN: Bijan Robinson.
In a recent ranking, ESPN put the Falcons star at No. 1 at the position, edging out Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs. Jeremy Fowler explained the call on Saturday during SportsCenter while speaking with Courtney Cronin, and the case came down to Robinson’s production and all-around impact.
“Bijan Robinson, 24 years old. He's in position to dominate in the NFL over the next half decade.
Atlanta knows this, which is why they're trying to pay him on an extension this summer,” Fowler said on Saturday via SportsCenter. “But it was close between Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs in Detroit.
Robinson gets the nod at number one because nearly 2,300 all-purpose yards last year.”
Robinson has been a difference-maker since arriving in Atlanta in 2023, but his 2025 season was his best yet. He finished with 287 carries for 1,478 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. He also gave the Falcons plenty as a receiver, catching 79 passes for 820 yards and four more scores.
Fowler also pointed to the possibility of a new deal for Robinson this summer, a move that would likely push past $20 million per season and make him the highest-paid running back in the league, ahead of Saquon Barkley.
“He can make a positive play out of nothing,” Fowler added. “When the blocking has failed, it's looking bleak, he can still break off 60-yard runs.
He's good in the passing game, 79 catches last year, so he can really do it all. And he has a little more size than Gibbs, that gave him the nod.”
Whether Robinson shows up to training camp without a new contract will be one of the bigger questions facing Atlanta. Falcons camp begins July 24, when rookies report to the team facility. Veterans arrive July 28, and the first full-team practice is set for July 29.
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