Texas Longhorns star running back Bijan Robinson is expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Thursday, and could be drafted No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN.

“Many around the league believe the Texas running back could go as high as No. 8 overall to the Falcons, where general manager Terry Fontenot and coach Arthur Smith have shown a pattern of taking the best player available regardless of position,” wrote ESPN's Jason Reid on Wednesday.

“With the emphasis on running a ball-control offense, Smith could favor using Robinson similarly to how he used Derrick Henry during Smith's time as offensive coordinator in Tennessee, but Robinson provides much more versatility and juice in the passing game. The Falcons still need help off the edge and in the secondary, but don't be surprised if they stick to their best-player-available theory by drafting Robinson.”

Although most scouts reportedly consider Robinson the superior player to Alabama's Jahmyr Gibbs, some teams could prioritize the latter over the former due to his “more of an Alvin Kamara style of play, with the ability to hit home runs in the pass-catching game,” per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler believes that some teams prefer the change-of-pace playmaker in their backfield, like Gibbs, rather than the traditional do-it-all back, which translates more to Robinson's game.

While the ESPN Insider is also hearing Robinson to the Falcons as a legitimate option, he thinks they may slide down a couple of spots to get him, especially if one of the top quarterbacks are still available and they could use it as leverage with a team like Tennessee (No. 11 overall) or Houston (No. 12 overall), earning some draft capital in the process.

Still, both Jason Reid and Jeremy Fowler believe that Bijan Robinson will be a top-10 selection on Thursday, and think it's unlikely that he will fall past the Falcons at No. 8 overall.