Up, Down or Slide: Former playmaking WVU S Kenny Robinson could be available in Round 4

NFL Draft News
Kenny Robinson

Kenny Robinson went from first-team all-conference as a sophomore to becoming the first player with multiple years of eligibility left to be drafted by the XFL.

And now Robinson is primed to become the first – and perhaps the only – former XFL player to be drafted by an NFL team. At 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, the safety had 21 tackles, two interceptions and one sack for the St. Louis Battlehawks when the season – and potentially the league – was halted due to the virus pandemic.

Prior to his stint with St. Louis, Robinson had seven interceptions in two seasons with West Virginia, including two he returned for touchdowns as a freshman. He also had 123 tackles and seven passes defensed. It all fell apart from there, though, as Robinson entered the transfer portal due to academic issues.

He was heavily recruited by several major powerhouses, but questions persisted about his eligibility status, so Robinson instead decided to enter the XFL draft, where he was the 39th pick.

Robinson likely won’t be selected that early during the April 23-25 draft, but some publications have him listed as the third-best safety and a possible Day 2 pick. Day 3, however, might be more realistic, said Eric Edholm, NFL draft analyst for Yahoo Sports.

“Maybe late Day 2,” Edholm told Fanspeak when asked if there was a chance Robinson could be drafted as high as the third round. “There wasn’t as much buzz on him as I assumed once I asked around. He impressed a few XFL personnel people (who did advanced scouting) whom I spoke with. If I had to guess, I’d say Round 4 is more likely. He has some size and playmaking ability that will be worth cultivating.”

Defense & Fumbles Table
Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
*2017 West Virginia Big 12 FR S 11 32 14 46 2.0 0.0 3 170 56.7 2 3 0 0
*2018 West Virginia Big 12 SO S 12 52 25 77 2.0 0.0 4 58 14.5 0 4 1 1
Career West Virginia 84 39 123 4.0 0.0 7 228 32.6 2 7 1 1

 

Jake Rigdon (jake@sydwriting.com) covers the NFL draft for Fanspeak and the On The Clock, which is the only NFL draft simulator that allows you to customize and use your own big board while giving you control over trades.


Related Articles

FINAL Fanspeak Mock Draft 4.26: Draft day is here! Who will make a splashy move tonight?

The “best” quarterback is also short, as in, historically short for his position. The “best” defensive tackle and…

Read More about FINAL Fanspeak Mock Draft 4.26: Draft day is here! Who will make a splashy move tonight?

Fanspeak NFL Draft Notes: Reddit, Will Levis, and what Las Vegas knows that the rest of us don’t

Bryce Young is going No. 1 overall to Carolina, right? Maybe not. The internet was all aflutter this…

Read More about Fanspeak NFL Draft Notes: Reddit, Will Levis, and what Las Vegas knows that the rest of us don’t