Have you found your mid-round NFL draft crush yet?
Are you tired of watching pathetic run defense? Are you tired of watching safeties play so far out of frame on the TV screen that you forget they exist? Do you want a player who can trigger downhill, play aggressively, and slam someone to the turf like he’s offended they had the audacity to step on his field?
Then allow me to introduce you to FSU safety Jammie Robinson.
Robinson began his career at South Carolina before transferring to Florida State, where the redshirt junior spent the past two years as an instant starter making an impact all over the Seminoles’ defense. Jammie primarily played strong safety. However, he would play free safety, nickel, and even linebacker in some packages and was productive everywhere he went. His motor, instincts, and toughness made him the emotional leader for FSU’s defense.
As new defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks over his personnel, finding quality defensive backs has to be priority No. 1. And while the situation is more dire at corner, the safety room is also far from settled. Cam Bynum took a big step backwards last season, and Lewis Cine is an unknown coming off the devastating compound fracture in his leg. Even Harrison Smith’s future in Minnesota is cloudy, as the veteran’s worth is debatable coming off a down year.
Even if all three of the safeties mentioned above return, Brian Flores’ scheme demands a lot of the position. Versatility is key. Flores sees safeties as an integral piece on the chess board and uses them in a variety of ways. Blitzers, nickel defenders, single-high, or the classic cover 2 shell — Flores needs a diversity of skill sets and depth at safety to make his scheme work.
Jevon Holland was a prime example of this during Flores’ time with the Miami Dolphins. His ability to come into the box to make plays as a blitzer and pseudo linebacker was a huge part of Miami’s defense. Flores has even implemented three-safety looks, further stressing the need for quality depth in the rotation. Your fourth safety just became an actual part of the rotation.
And that’s where Robinson can be a perfect piece for Flores to utilize in sync with Smith, Bynum, and Cine. Robinson is an explosive, twitchy player with a knack for finding the ball carrier. And while he isn’t the biggest kid on the block, he plays like a guy twice his size.
Ultimately that’s what is so endearing about Jammie. He’s a smart player, he’s always in the right place at the right time, and he always makes the play. Above all else, he makes up for his lack of size with a surplus of effort and violence. It’s just so much fun to watch.
Robinson is at his best near the line of scrimmage where he can react, use his instincts, and bury the ball carrier. He excelled at Florida State in the “robber” role, where he can read and react to the quarterback’s eyes over the middle of the field to track down receivers and make the play, which is a staple in Flores’ defense.
Now, for all my boasting for how tough he is, there’s a reason Jammie Robinson will likely be available on Day 2. His size (5’11”, 190 lbs.) is a concern, and he’s not gonna get any bigger. As you can see in the way he plays, he sometimes throws his entire body recklessly to make the hit against larger athletes. Still, you can’t teach scrappy. And Robinson has scrappiness in spades.
The other concern is his lack of ball production in college. He racked up tackles and pass breakups rather than interceptions more often than not. Whether this is a limitation of his or what his role called for in FSU’s defense is up for debate. Robinson was a one-man cleanup crew, sorting through the trash in traffic and making big tackles over the middle. He’s far from a liability in coverage, but he’s thrived closer to the line of scrimmage rather than singled up deep against a receiver.
Not that he was a liability when he did so.
Ultimately, some Vikings fans may roll their eyes at the thought of another early-round safety. Many were upset that they took Cine last year, and he had a much higher pedigree. But for a coaching staff that needs to completely overhaul the culture of this defense, give me as many guys with Jammie Robinson’s motor and tenacity as possible.
