Run Defense
Of course, playing safety isn’t just about coverage – even if Robinson is likely to spend most of his time in deep coverage at the NFL level, he will need to still be able to hold his own in this regard, even if that is primarily as a support defender from deep. Unfortunately, and there is really not way of getting around this, Robinson is currently a pretty hopeless tackler.
There are times on tape when he gets things right from a technical point of view and is able to wrap up and bring down the ball carrier:
However, there are times when he just doesn’t wrap with his arms properly:
Or doesn’t get his feet set properly:
Or went off his feet too early, making himself vulnerable to late movement:
Also, especially if he is going to be used as run-cover from deep, he also needs to make sure he doesn’t get too aggressive in his angles, as a couple of times on tape he tried to seal off the corner and ended up having to adjust after he got beaten for speed to the edge by misjudging his angles:
Improving as a run defender is going to be a must before he is going to be able to see the field as a starter, but will also be important for his presumed short-term role in special teams. Tackling technique is something that should be teachable, but he is going to have to learn, and will need to do similarly with his footwork in underneath coverage.
Robinson is definitely something of a project, but shows a lot of nice traits on tape and is far more than just an athlete – while his selection is not a sure-fire success, this looks to be a very worthwhile risk in the fifth round, both in terms of long-term value and scheme fit.
Best-Case NFL Comparison: Marcus Williams
(Top Photo Via Getty Images)
