2016 NFL Draft: DT A’Shawn Robinson Scouting Report

DT A’Shawn Robinson- Alabama:

Pros:

• Excellent size and frame for a defensive tackle.
• Great power and drive at the point of a attack, he routinely pushes interior linemen back into the backfield, blowing up plays.  
• Forces teams to double team him, opening up players around him.
• Solid athleticism and quickness for his size
• Sure tackler, who rarely lets a player get out of his grasp.
• Flashes potential as a quality pass rusher
• Has the size/power to play the nose tackle, but is quick enough to play other interior positions as well.
• High upside potential to be an elite interior lineman.
• Excelled in the toughest conference in the country.

Cons:

• The Crimson Tide was able to limit his snaps to keep him fresh. It helped keep him effective, but it does pose the question can he increase his snap percentage over a longer season.
• Still pretty raw, relies more on natural talent than skill and consistency is a question mark.
• Pass rush flashes at times, but also disappears at other times. He’ll have to be more consistent at the next level.
• Plays too high at times and loses leverage
• Is less certain to be an elite or even a productive player than some of the other top DL.

Overview:

Robinson should be a surefire first round pick and he’s likely to go in the top 25 selections, but he’s more of a upside/projection pick than a refined player who will succeed immediately.

He has the potential to be a dominant force on the interior of some defense and his skill set/size should make him an attractive option to any team. He’s such a powerful interior player, who can impose his will on the opposing game plan. It’s tough to run right at him and he forces teams to double-team him to keep him out of the play. Even his pass rush has begun to show signs of improvement and some nice potential.
Robinson’s downside is there is a lot more projection involved. At Alabama not only did he benefit from playing with a number of other top talented players, but he wasn’t even asked to be a full time player. They would sub him out for stretches to keep him fresh because they had such a deep roster. If he’s drafted in the first round though, he’s going to be expected to play considerably more and he likely won’t have the same strong supporting cast. He needs to do a better job when rushing the passer and he has to work on winning the leverage game. If he can maintain leverage with his power base, he could be unstoppable.