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The 2014 NFL Draft is being called one of the deepest drafts in history. It might go down as "The Year of The Freaks" as well. There's always one prospect who steals the show with his workouts. This year, there are guys at every position who would steal the show any other year.
There are guys like Jadeveon Clowney, Anthony Barr, Tyler Starr, and Aaron Donald running and doing drills like receivers and defensive backs 50 pounds lighter than them. Receivers like Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Brandon Coleman, and Martavis Bryant who, if they aren't Calvin Johnson, offer a blend of height, weight, and speed that would be rare any other year.
However, the most awe-inspiring performance of the draft process belongs to Auburn's Greg Robinson.
Must Reads
Pros
- Massive human being: 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, with long arms
- Absurd athlete. Incredibly powerful, but moves like a much smaller person.
- Mauler who simply dominates whoever he's lined up against, particularly in the run game.
- Red-shirt sophomore, and very young. He still has a lot of maturing to do, and is just scratching the surface of his potential
Cons
- Played in an offense that has more in common with high school than the NFL.
- Rarely asked to pass protect in Auburn's offense.
- Inexperienced, and his technique is raw (footwork occasionally breaks down, lunges at defensive linemen, and gets grabby)
Does He Fit With The Giants?
Absolutely.
Robinson might struggle out of the gate, when he faces NFL pass rushers who can combine speed, agility, and power, along with schematic wrinkles that simply hasn't seen in his brief time in college. However, his upside has to be measured on the same scale as Jadeveon Clowney's. Robinson's physical skills and play-style give him all the tools to be one of the, if not the, most dominating offensive linemen in the NFL if he wants to be.
Robinson is one of 2 offensive tackles that I'd have no problem taking and risk moving Justin Pugh to guard or center for. What he lacks in pass protection, he more than makes up for with his run blocking. Considering that Will Beatty is also one of the best run blocking left tackles in the league, the Giants run game would be truly ambidextrous, able to run to the left or right equally well.
Prospect Video
Big Board Rankings
Big Blue View - 5
Mocking The Draft - 6
CBS Sports - 2
Draft Countdown - 3
Draft Tek - 5
Final Thoughts
After a truly amazing combine workout Greg Robinson is getting talked about as the top offensive lineman in this class. And while he is undoubtedly the most physically talented, I don't think he's the best. For me, that honor belongs to Jake Matthews. Other-worldly athleticism is all well and good, but technique wins. Movement skills win. Matthews still has physical upside, and already has awesome technique and sublime movement skills.
That being said, Robinson is not far behind Matthews. He doesn't have Matthews technique and movement skills, and he might never have them. But, there's no reason why he can't at least be "Very Good", and that combined with his natural power, size, and athleticism, could make him truly dominant.
The Giants would likely have no chance at Greg Robinson without trading up. The Giants would have to decide if the price to move up outweighs the impact a lineman like Robinson could have. He could be the final piece of a dominant offensive line, but the price could rob the team of a lot of much-needed depth.