Janarius Robinson is one of a handful of project players who came out of this year’s draft. It’s not a crime on its own to take a player who needs development to reach a high ceiling, but it is worth examining. Like Kellen Mond or Patrick Jones, we have to take stock of who the player is now before we daydream about who he can be.
No player in the Minnesota Vikings’ class embodies the “raw but athletic” label like Robinson does. He’s unbelievably raw, but his athleticism is eye-popping.
That broad jump shows up often. Robinson’s power as a rusher should be the centerpiece of his game. He already shows a great understanding of leverage and engagement. Robinson can deploy that power well and should do it more often.
Breaking down those reps further, it’s clear the kind of value a powerful edge rusher can have. The way it squeezes angles can break down delicate play designs. It compounds more than simply holding a spot in short-yardage situations; it can render other offensive players irrelevant.
[videopress M7nSZ0va]Unfortunately, Robinson doesn’t have the know-how to deploy this power consistently. All too often, Robinson is happy to fly by the seat of his pants. Improvisation isn’t a bad thing — Patrick Jones could use some — but you have to know how to construct a pass-rush plan before you can learn to deviate from one.
[videopress qQEMaois]This idea shows up just about any time Robinson tries to do anything. That sounds like an exaggeration, but unless he’s firing out of a three-point stance with the express purpose of pushing back a tackle or tight end, he doesn’t have much technique at all. One example of this is Robinson’s swim move. Not only does the technique look entirely unrefined, but he doesn’t have a sense of how to set it up or when to deploy it in the first place.
[videopress dz64JeDD]One of the simpler things an edge rusher will be asked to do is to set the edge. That means, on run plays, sealing off the outside to prevent running backs from bouncing it outside. Robinson isn’t very consistent about this. Earlier in his career, he’d get caught with bad posture and get blown out of the play. That was far less common as his power came along last year, but he still has trouble getting to the spot he’s supposed to hold.
Here, it costs the Seminoles a touchdown:
[videopress S4RFg2VL]Perhaps the single fix that will take Robinson the furthest is learning to use his hands. He doesn’t need to learn how to use his hands; he needs to learn to use them at all. There are very few reps in his tape where he deploys his hands as weapons intentionally. Here’s a fairly simple pass-rush technique, the “dip-and-rip.” Louisville LT Tyler Haycraft makes a critical mistake, and Robinson fails to punish it.
[videopress DtQXphiJ]There is a lot of work to do with Janarius Robinson. At the end of that rainbow is a phenomenally powerful edge rusher who can overwhelm lighter zone-blocking offensive linemen. But to even get to rotational quality, the Vikings will have to shape him from scratch.
Too often we take that for granted. We shrug our shoulders and say, “maybe he’ll work out.” But itemizing the scope of the things Robinson needs to fix, it’s hard to see him making any meaningful contributions until at least halfway through his rookie contract. So how long will the Vikings be willing to spend a roster spot on a player who can’t be relied upon to contribute?
