2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report - Corey Robinson, OT South Carolina

South Carolina offensive tackle Corey Robinson transformed himself into one of the best linemen in the country in addition to being one of the biggest. After redshirting as a freshman, Robinson was temporarily moved to the defensive line before moving back to offensive tackle. And while he was largely regarded as a huge player with huge potential, Robinson’s senior season allowed him to grow into one of the best offensive lineman in the SEC Conference.

Along with left guard, A.J. Cann, the Gamecocks’ offense has Robinson out in a really wide split having him cover a ton of ground. The offensive system has Robinson used both in zone and gap concepts, even having Robinson get out and make blocks in space. Because of the wide splits in addition to the competition that came with playing the SEC Conference, Robinson may have been asked to do more than just about any offensive tackle in the country, which should prove beneficial as he goes to the NFL.

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Vitals & Build

Born May 21, 1992 (Will be 22 at the time of the draft)
6’8″ 344lbs (Listed)

Robinson is simply enormous with outstanding ballast and length for the position that makes him stand out in a game of giants. While huge, his body composition looks impressive without a ton of obvious fat around his midsection. Robinson has long arms and possesses pretty good flexibility from below the waist, but that is a focus that has to be continually refined. There might be a small amount of consideration to trim down slightly if it can help his quickness but he does carry the weight well and there is nothing to suggest he cannot continue to get stronger in the NFL.

Athleticism

Robinson’s feet and agility are not ideal by any stretch but he moves pretty well for someone his size. While there will be critics that nitpick his quickness and mobility, his length and ballast make up a great deal of difference and he maintains balance and control while moving well.

Robinson looks better going forward and is able to a pretty good head of steam. He is able to get to the second level and down the field while maintaining control and balance.

While this is not the prettiest down field block, Robinson gets to it with ease.

Robinson’s lateral agility and quickness will be the hottest topic of discussion when it comes to the NFL. He tends to be judicious with his footwork and it can look deceptively slow at times because he covers so much ground with each step. Robinson can get beat with speed to the outside, but it is not usually because he is simply unable to get outside, but rather poor judgment on his part. There are a number of examples where he can show impressive quickness as he slides outside in pass protection.

Robinson’s lateral agility is not ideal but he can slide pretty effectively when needed while staying under control.

Run Blocking

Robinson is not an overwhelming run blocker in terms of power, but he can move opponents off of the ball. While many tackles of his height get into the habit of lunging at opponents out of their stance to get behind their pads, Robinson sacrifices some power for accuracy. He is not always to maximize his power as he is forced to reach and work from a slight disadvantage, but he is strong enough to compensate. Robinson does have an excellent habit in that when he does lock on, he churns his legs to generate power.

Robinson is forced to keep his hands relatively low in order to lock onto the opponent.

Robinson will use positioning to get his body in the way of opponents as well as use the opponent’s momentum against them and shove them past the play. He can move opponents off the ball, but he does have to work harder than others that have an easier time with pad level.

Robinson steps up and shields the opponent from being able to get anywhere near the quick pitch going the other way.

Robinson uses his opponent’s momentum and just throws him further up field and out of the play.

In addition to having trouble with pad level because of his height, it can also prove an issue when it comes to staying on and finishing blocks. Opponents are able to wriggle out of his blocks at times and get into plays they probably should not. Some of that is just a matter of Robinson needing to be consistent with his effort and technique, but with so many smaller defensive linemen as opponents, it can be an issue.

Robinson has power and strength to move opponents off the ball, but it is difficult working downward and it appears much easier for him to win with positioning and technique. In some short yardage situations, Robinson will sometimes go low and use his massive body to trip up opponents trying to get inside to create a pile and stop the run.

Robinson does get to the second level with ease for the most part and the fact that he does not feel the need to lunge makes him extremely accurate on these blocks. He may not always hit them square or completely erase them from the play, but Robinson will always get at least a piece of the opponent and if he does get his body in the way, they are unable to impact the play whatsoever. The fact that Robinson is not inclined to lunge also means that he is almost never on the ground.

Robinson is easily able to get to the second level and make a solid block against the middle linebacker.

Robinson’s sheer size makes it difficult for opponents to get around him to make plays against the run, but he does need to get more consistent. The biggest issue he runs into is staying with and finishing blocks. Nevertheless, whatever he does not bring in overwhelming power and ‘wow’ knockdown type blocks, he makes up for it with the fact that he never whiffs an assignment completely. If Robinson can get more consistent and add in more power at the point of attack, he can be a nasty run blocker in the NFL with time.

Pass Blocking

This is where Robinson’s size and length is a huge asset. Opponents have an incredibly difficult time moving him or getting around him. Robinson is always able to initiate contact with his long arms and slow down the opponent’s momentum, so that he can control them and ultimately shut them down as they attempt to rush the passer.

Facing off against the talented Shane Ray of Missouri, Robinson is quick to get his hands on him to slow down his momentum and mirrors effectively as he tries to go outside.

Ray rushes inside and is able to work through and force the quarterback outside, notching the sack. Robinson has to be able to shut down the inside gap and his less than ideal foot quickness is part of what gets him beat here.

In addition to his massive size, Robinson does a good job of bending his knees and establishing a base, which makes bull rushing him almost a complete waste of time. Some opponents will flash it to try to keep Robinson honest, but tend to give up on it, focusing on trying to get around him or beat him to the inside gap.

This bull rush was moderately effective but was still unable to produce any real results. The opponent converts speed into power catching Robinson unprepared and off balance. He is knocked backward a little bit before recovering and stopping the opponent’s progress.

Robinson has pretty good awareness when it comes to identifying traditional twists and stunts from opponents, able to react effectively.

Robinson identifies and handles the stunt here, passing the end to the left guard and taking the defensive tackle with little stress.

There are some occasional lapses when he is unable to identify the rushers correctly and can get out of position. This is an issue that should be resolved as he gets more experience and simply sees more complex blitzes from opponents.

Robinson identifies the outside linebacker blitz but is late to identify the inside linebacker is coming as well and is late to react. As a result, he does not block either one and both have a free run at quarterback, who takes a pretty good shot.

Technique

Robinson trusts in his punch enough where he does not feel the need to lunge. His long arms and jab make it so he can get control of opponents early and eliminate momentum before it gets going. His height can make it difficult, especially against short opponents who try to get under him because it puts him at an awkward angle to get much push.

Robinson has a good sense of angles and is able to anchor effectively against opponents. His ballast and overall length certainly help make that job easier but he does a good job of making opponents have a difficult time getting around him both in pass and run blocking.

Footwork

Robinson’s feet are not ideally quick and will be a source of discussion, but he is effective and judicious with his footwork. Whether it is in the running game or pass protection, Robinson is consistently able to get where he needs to go and his feet look slightly slower because he is able to cover so much ground with each step. He is able to move quickly when needed without losing his control or balance, but this is going to be something he needs to continue to work on as he goes forward. The lighter he can be on his feet, the more dangerous he is as a blocker.

System Fit

Gap Scheme Tackle

Robinson is not an overpowering tackle but he does not have the ideal foot quickness that teams that put an emphasis on zone blocking would want. He is better suited to take a man and beat them.

Zone Scheme Tackle

Robinson can perform in zone blocking but he is not ideal when it comes to pulling. It would not be a huge surprise if zone teams opt to pass on him if they feel a comparable talent is lighter on their feet. Nevertheless, some zone heavy teams may simply see him as a potentially dominant pass protector and take him based on that fact.

Gap Scheme Guard

It is possible that a team could move Robinson inside, though it seems backwards to what he does well. Robinson is massive but he is not an earth mover. He wins in the running game with positioning first and foremost and it would be difficult to do it at guard, although he would be extremely effective in pass protection.

Draft Projection

Corey Robinson may not be a fit for every team but he shows the skill set and physical abilities to warrant a Day Two selection. The fact that he is somewhat of a one year wonder could be held against him, but also might suggest that he has just scratched the surface of what he can be.

The clips were provided by DraftBreakdown.com

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2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report – Corey Robinson, OT South Carolina

By Peter Smith | Dec 22, 2014