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DT A'SHAWN ROBINSON ALABAMA SEC
DRAFTED BY: LIONS ROUND 2, PICK15, OVERALL 46
COMBINE RESULTS
GRADE
6.34
40 Yard
5.20 SEC
Bench
22 REPS
Verticle Jump
26.0 INCH
Broad Jump
106.0 INCH
3 cone
7.80 SEC
20 Yard Shuttle
4.74 SEC
DRAFT ANALYSIS:
"The Lions are really short at defensive tackle right now. New Lions general manager Bob Quinn wants to get bigger and more powerful on both lines of scrimmage." -- Mike Mayock
HEIGHT
6'4"
ARM LENGTH
34 1/2"
WEIGHT
307LBS.
HANDS
10 1/2"
OVERVIEW
Nick Saban has made a habit of creating NFL defensive lineman during his time in Tuscaloosa, recruiting the best of the best from the high school ranks and making the most of their potential. Robinson was another one of those five-star recruits who came in ready to contribute. He played all 13 games (starting two) as a true freshman, making 38 stops, eight for loss, and leading the Tide with 5.5 sacks. Robinson displayed versatility by playing inside and outside as a sophomore, earning honorable mention All-SEC honors from league media as a full-time starter (6.5 tackles for loss) by splitting his time between the nose tackle and five-technique spots. He first gained the true attention of scouts that season when racking up nine tackles, three for loss, against Missouri in the SEC Championship Game. Robinson's career reached its apex in 2015, as he garnered consensus All-American honors and was named a finalist for the Outland Trophy. He was one of the main cogs of the nations third-rated defense, making 46 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks in 15 games as the Tide won the national title.
ANALYSIS
STRENGTHS Body beautiful for an interior lineman. Well-proportioned with powerful, tree trunk legs make it tough to move him off the spot. Has boom in his punch and dislodges guards and centers if they try and wait on him. Pure power to toss a one-on-one block aside. Athletic enough to give reasonable chase to the ball. Well-schooled in using length to stuff cut blocks. Has frame and length to eat blocks and allow linebackers to run free. Heavy tackler. Running backs do not break his tackles and he rarely fails to finish when hes locked in on his target. Able to generate pocket push when he gets it cranked up as a pass rusher. Boss man in the locker room and in practice helping to hold teammates accountable. Coming into the draft with relatively fresh legs playing just 57 percent of Alabama's defensive snaps over last two seasons. Has brute force to match NFL power immediately.
WEAKNESSES Pad level is his arch enemy. Plays too upright when asked to move. Looks to have flexibility to drop his pads, but doesn't do it enough. Should be more consistent against double teams. Doesn't impose his will as often as he could. Basic pass rusher without a winning, go-to move or effective counter. Straight-liner who cranks up initial push as bull-rusher, but stalls out due to leverage loss. Needs to play with wider base to improve balance and base. Able to get upfield as an edge rusher, but rarely turns corner. Too content to lay on blocks when rush stalls rather than spin underneath or unleash a club move. Doesn't play with the quickness or forward lean to threaten edges and win in the gaps.
DRAFT PROJECTION Round 1
NFL COMPARISON John Henderson
BOTTOM LINE Hard to find an interior lineman with a more well-proportioned frame than Robinson. His size and overall talent level will have NFL teams drooling and projecting him along any and all defensive fronts, but his film might leave them hungry for more. As opposed to teammate Jarran Reed who already plays with polish, Robinson is a projection-oriented two-gapper who can step in right away and help plug holes in a leaky run defense. If Robinson can improve his leverage issues and pass rushing, he has all-pro potential; however, he's not a sure thing to become a star.
-Lance Zierlein