Alton Robinson 2020 NFL Draft Profile

One of the Syracuse Orange football program’s great reclamation projects is defensive end Alton Robinson. He came to central New York with a checkered past after several off-the-field incidents forced Texas A&M to rescind their scholarship offer to him. For Robinson’s sake, he rebounded nicely by having a terrific season at the junior college power, Northeast Oklahoma A&M. Robinson recorded 14 sacks that earned him Second-Team All-Conference honors in his only season at the school.

Orange head coach Dino Babers brought Robinson into the program as the defense’s designated pass rusher. And no one was disappointed with the results as Robinson recorded 30 tackles (six for loss) and five sacks in 12 games. His junior season is where Robinson registered on every scout’s radar. He dominated the line of scrimmage as Robinson had 10 sacks which ranked second in the ACC. But he became more of a disruptor to an opponent’s running game. Robinson recorded 39 tackles with 17 of them for loss. This performance earned him Second-Team All-ACC honors. Robinson’s senior campaign at Syracuse was a struggle. He became more of a run-stuffing defender (46 tackles) than a polished (4.5 sacks) pass rusher.

Strengths

a classic pass-rushing specialist;

tough to slow down his forward progress;

superb footwork off the line of scrimmage;

impactful tackler that creates turnovers;

excellent lower body technique;

takes great pursuit angles downfield;

edge defender who can play the run.

Weaknesses

tends to runs past the pocket;

needs to shed blockers faster;

lacks a counter pass-rushing move;

fails to protect the edge on outside runs;

needs to become a better open-field tackler;

fails to use his hands to disrupt a quarterback’s range of vision;

stays engaged with a pass blocker too long.

Projection: third or fourth round

Bottom Line

The concern is real about Robinson’s lack of production in his senior season at Syracuse. After a terrific junior campaign, Robinson’s overall numbers flatten in every area except in tackles. However, a majority of pro scouts blame his struggles with the team’s poor defensive schemes. To support this point, Babers fired the entire defensive coaching staff at the conclusion of the last season.

Still, Robinson is the best edge pass rusher to come out of Syracuse since Chandler Jones. His athleticism will afford him the time needed to develop his overall game. Teams will be surprised how well Robinson defends the run as his footwork allows him to stuff the gap. At first, Robinson will be best utilized in pass-rushing schemes that showcases his ability to get off the line of scrimmage quickly. If he adapts, Robinson could become a starter by season’s end.