2023 NFL Draft: Falcons Select Texas RB, 2 Bulldogs Find New Teams

KANSAS CITY, MO — The Atlanta Falcons picked up a Texas Longhorns running back while two Georgia Bulldogs players were selected to teams in the top 15 on the 2023 NFL Draft's first day.

Tucson, AZ-native Bijan Robinson was the Falcons' choice Thursday during an eighth round pick. Robinson scored 96 in the 2023 Combine, ranking first in his craft.

According to the NFL, Robinson was chosen as a top high school football player twice in Arizona. The accolade made him a top recruit across colleges nationwide, according to the league. He earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2021 and was a first-team Associated Press All-American and All-Big 12 selection.

"His final season in Austin was memorable, as he won the Doak Walker Award as the nation's top running back," league officials wrote in Robinson's profile.

The University of Georgia's Jalen Carter flocked to the Philadelphia Eagles after being picked ninth. The defensive tackle and Apopka, Fla., native ranked first among DTs in the 2023 Combine with an overall score of 87.

"Carter was one of the top recruits in the country after excelling on the football field at Apopka High School in Florida. Also, he played basketball and placed second in the state weightlifting competition's heavyweight division with a 395-pound bench press. That strength showed up early in his career with the Bulldogs, as he started twice in 10 games as a true freshman during the 2020 season (14 tackles, three for loss, one blocked kick)," league officials wrote in Carter's profile.

He was second-team All-SEC in fall 2021 and was named first-team Associated Press All-American and all-conference honors though he was absent from Georgia's title run due to knee and ankle injuries, according to the league.

The Bulldogs had a second victory at the draft as offensive tackle Broderick Jones secured a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers as the 14th pick.

The Lithonia native ranked second among offensive tackles in the 2023 Combine with an overall score of 85.

"Jones played behind Jamaree Salyer at left tackle for the first 11 games of Georgia's nation title-winning season in 2021 but started at left tackle in the final four contests to help the team hoist the trophy, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team for his efforts," league officials wrote in Jones' profile.

Jones lended his efforts to helping the Bulldogs win back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.

See the full list of first day draft picks here. The 2023 NFL Draft will continue at 8 p.m. Friday in downtown Kansas City.