(Editor's Note: The DallasCowboys.com team welcomes Bucky Brooks to the staff. Bucky brings a wealth of experience, not only as a former NFL player of five seasons, but also as a scout and on the pro personnel side for two teams. In the last decade, Brooks has worked in the media, including the NFL Network. Bucky will provide his own analysis and opinions of the Cowboys but also the entire NFL. Today, he breaks down one of the new draft picks in fourth-round pick Reggie Robinson II.)
- Name: Reggie Robinson
- College: Tulsa
- Position: CB
- Height: 6-1
- Weight: 205
- Season: Rookie
Overview:
Robinson is an athletic cover corner with an intriguing set of physical tools and intangibles that help him emerge as a future starter. He finished his collegiate career with 101 tackles, 34 PBUs, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries and four blocked kicks in 45 career games, including 32 starts.
As a pass defender, Robinson displays good instincts, awareness, and diagnostic skills. He has a nice feel for recognizing route concepts and frequently positions himself in an ideal spot to react quickly to the ball. Robinson's anticipation, awareness, and quick reactions results in timely interceptions on tipped passes or overthrown balls in his area. He is a more effective playmaker when he's able to play with vision on the quarterback in a zone-based scheme.
In man coverage, Robinson is at his best playing bump-and-run at the line. He utilizes his superior reach to jam and re-route receivers early in routes to disrupt the timing of the passing game. Robinson combines his active hands with quick feet while using a mix of shadow techniques and quick jams to neutralize receivers. When he exhibits discipline and patience at the line of scrimmage, he eliminates his assigned receiver and forces quarterbacks to throw the ball elsewhere.
From a critical standpoint, Robinson's shoddy technique and panicky playing style lead to some cringe-worthy moments on the perimeter. He has a tendency to grab and hold receivers down the field and his inconsistent positioning can be attributed to his lack of discipline at the line. If Robinson focused on getting his work done early, he would be in a better position to snag interceptions instead of racking up PBUs on the perimeter.
Robinson needs to become a more consistent and reliable tackler on the perimeter. He's aggressive attacking runners and receivers but he tends to be out of control and misses a number of tackles as a result.
Strengths:
- Long, lanky cover corner with good instincts, awareness, and diagnostic skills
- Active hands and quick feet in press coverage
- Explosive athlete with intriguing physical tools (height/weight/speed)
- A-plus special teams contributor with a knack for blocking kicks
Weaknesses:
- Raw, unrefined technician
- Questionable tackling skills
What are scouts saying?
"Robinson is an intriguing guy. He's little underrated but he's big, physical and fast. He had a great week at the Senior Bowl. He's raw but he has the tools to be a starter down the road."
How does he fit in with the Cowboys?
Robinson is an athletic corner with the physical tools and intangibles to crack the rotation early in his career. He possesses the length, athleticism, and competitiveness to develop into a solid bump-and-run corner while also displaying enough instincts and awareness to thrive in a zone scheme. With the Cowboys transitioning into a Quarters' based scheme that requires cornerbacks to have some technique flexibility, Robinson's tools will give a chance to become a playmaker on the perimeter. If he can clean up his technique and play with better discipline in coverage, particularly in man coverage, Robinson could be a valuable contributor in the defensive backfield.
