Dominique Robinson NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Chicago Bears' EDGE
HEIGHT: 6'4 7/8"
WEIGHT: 253
HAND: 9 3/4"
ARM: 33 1/4"
WINGSPAN: 6'9 7/8"
40-YARD DASH: 4.72
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: DNP
VERTICAL: 41"
BROAD: 10'1"
POSITIVES
— Above-average first step.
— Good lateral explosion. Can work side-to-side and fire into the next gap over.
— Good agility and movement skills in space.
— Good flexibility in tight spaces. Can contort his body to wiggle through congested areas.
— Effective as a stunt/looper piece for games up front.
— Flashes of above-average extension after his initial punch.
— Uses a reliable hop-swipe move around the outside.
NEGATIVES
— Plays too tall. Fails to get under blocks and strike through them.
— Poor leg drive. Struggles to drive through blockers after engagement.
— Below-average balance as a pass-rusher. Struggles to bend the corner through contact.
— Limited pass-rushing moves. Good hop-swipe, but doesn't have much else right now.
— Poor run defender. Does not play with the leverage or anchor necessary to play blocks coming at him.
2021 STATISTICS
12 G, 28 TOT, 8.5 TFL, 4.5 SK
NOTES
— Converted from WR ahead of the 2020 season.
— Caught 27 passes for 452 yards and four touchdowns before switching to DE.
— 2021 third-team All-MAC.
OVERALL
Dominique Robinson was a wide receiver at Miami (OH) until the 2020 season, but he then converted to defensive end. He has only two years of college experience at the position, the first of which was disjointed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In theory, Robinson has as much room to develop as anyone in the class.
Robinson's inexperience showed up in a number of ways on film. For one, he was regularly kept off the field on early downs, especially in the beginning of games, to protect him from run-defense reps. His vision and anchor are both concerns in the run game, as is his high pad level. Perhaps all of that could change in time, but right now, Robinson's only real value in run defense is as a back-side chase player or when stunted inside, where he can put his explosiveness to work without thinking as much.
As a pass-rusher, Robinson is also a bit incomplete, but his potential is tantalizing. He comes off the ball well, which is complemented by his explosive side-to-side movements and agility in space that make him a lethal stunt and loop threat. Robinson also has a peculiar knack for contorting his body in tight spaces to minimize contact, which mostly serves him well on inside rushes. He has at least one reliable pass-rush move right now as well, with his hop-swipe move around the outside.
Robinson does still play too high and lose the leverage advantage, which makes it tough for him to turn the corner consistently and mask his middling lower-body strength. That may be able to come along as he gets more reps at the position, though.
Robinson is raw and only a pass-rushing threat right now, so he definitely projects as a Day 3 pick. But the ceiling created by his explosiveness and movement skills at his size is hard to ignore. Robinson is the perfect kind of developmental player to stash as a situational third-down pass-rusher while he develops the rest of his game.
GRADE: 6.7 (4th Round - Potential role player)
OVERALL RANK: 134
POSITION RANK: EDGE18
PRO COMPARISON: Benson Mayowa
Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen
