In his first career start, Robinson limited 2014 first-round pick Mike Evans to 51 yards receiving. Will that translate into the NFL?
Rashard Robinson, a 2013 four-star recruit, was cleared to play late by the NCAA prior to his freshman season and wouldn’t join the team until after preseason camp.
He would go on to start 8 of his 20 career games for LSU.
In his first career start, Robinson limited 2014 first-round pick Mike Evans to 51 yards receiving. After starting two games as a freshman, he would start six more as a sophomore before being indefinitely suspended from the team in November 2014 for a violation of team rules.
He wouldn’t play another down of college football and decided to declare for the NFL Draft rather than transfer. In his LSU career, he accumulated 33 tackles, one interception and four pass breakups. He possesses good height on a stick figure frame with very good athletic ability.
Measureables
Height: 6’1” 1/2
Weight: 171 lbs
Arm Length: 32.25 inches
Hand Size: nine inches
Combine Results
40-Yard Dash: 4.49 seconds
10-Yard Split: 1.62 seconds
Bench Press: 5 reps (Pro Day)
Vertical Jump: 35.5 inches
Broad Jump: 10’1”
Three Cone: 7.29 seconds (Pro Day)
Short Shuttle: 4.50 seconds (Pro Day)
Games Watched
2014: Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss
2013: Texas A&M
Strengths
From press coverage, Rashard Robinson displays good line of scrimmage skills as he utilizes quick hands to jam the receiver and disrupt the timing of routes. After jamming the receiver, he displays very good athletic ability as his fluid hips allow him to change directions quickly and smoothly.
As he’s running with the receiver, Robinson mirrors routes closely in man coverage and forces the quarterback to throw into tight windows.
Here’s an example of this as Robinson shadows Auburn’s Sammie Coates (who was drafted by the Steelers in 2015) downfield. Robinson blankets Coates on the go route, forcing the Auburn WR toward the sideline. As the QB is able to extend the play, Coates comes back to the ball, but Robinson is still all over him.
As the ball arrives, Robinson is able to get a hand in to break up the pass.
As you can see from the play above, Robinson has very good deep range. He also shows off his short range when playing off coverage as he displays a solid plant and drive to explode towards the ball and close quickly to break up the pass or limit yards after the catch.
Robinson possesses solid competitive toughness and won’t give up on a play. With his speed, and by taking good angles to the ball, he’s able to track down the play from almost anywhere on the field.
As a run defender, Robinson is able to constrict running lanes by forcing the play back inside. Despite his frame, he’s a willing tackler.
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Weaknesses
When pressing, Robinson has a tendency to turn and bail after the initial jam rather than continue to press. He struggles to read the WR as a result of marginal mental processing skills and is late to turn and track the ball.
As a result, he doesn’t track the ball well and is unable to make a play with the ball in the air.
Once again against Sammie Coates, Robinson turns his head once he sees Coates look up, but can’t locate the ball in time. He takes a late swipe at the pass instead of trying to high point for the interception. As a result, Coates comes down with the pass and is able to reach the endzone for a touchdown.
While he does play physically, Robinson is overmatched by bigger, stronger wideouts. Take a look at this play from his freshman season against Mike Evans of Texas A&M. Evans, who is now a starter in the NFL, has no problem creating space against Robinson.
Yes, Robinson was only a 163-pound freshman at the time, but he weighed in just eight pounds heavier at the Scouting Combine. Adding the strength needed to matchup against receivers like Evans is one of the biggest reasons why Robinson will need time to develop into a starter.
In the running game, Robinson struggles to disengage from blocks due to marginal play strength. Once free, he’s an unreliable tackler who throws himself at the ball carrier rather than wrapping up.
Robinson is extremely raw having only played in 20 games over the course of the past three seasons. He started just eight of those games, and on top of that, was in a rotation with Jalen Collins. NFL teams will also dig into his off-the-field actions to determine whether or not he should even be on their draft board.
Overall
Overall, Rashard Robinson is a future starting cornerback in the NFL who wins with athleticism and man coverage skills. He’s not a corner who should be expected to create turnovers. Since it will have been almost two years since Robinson last played a meaningful down, his transition to the NFL will take a little longer than most rookies of his caliber.
Talent wise, he’s not on the same level as Jalen Ramsey or Vernon Hargreaves III, but can be grouped with the next tier of corners such as William Jackson III, Eli Apple and Mackensie Alexander. Trouble off the field however will prevent him from being a first-round pick.
Ultimately, he’s expected to be selected on the draft’s second day and has the potential to be a future number one CB if he hits the weight room and stays out of trouble.