Alex Reno

Special to the Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions made it clear that they wanted to get bigger and stronger in the trenches this season. After selecting offensive tackle Taylor Decker with the 16th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, they went to the defensive side of the ball and added a big-bodied defensive tackle in A’Shawn Robinson in the second round.

Robinson looks like he could be your uncle and might have broken several leg-press records as an infant. I mean, seriously, just look at one of his baby pictures.

2-month-olds are not allowed to look like that. Robinson was born to put on the chinstrap and line up in the trenches.



A common misconception with Robinson is that he’s a poor athlete. I get it. Take one look at his measurables, and they fit the narrative.

Underrated Athlete

But his game film paints a different picture.

Watch the play.

Still going to tell me that Robinson is a poor athlete? He moves around as if he’s 20 to 30 pounds lighter than his listed weight.

Watch the play.

Robinson may have tested poorly by running a 5.20-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, but that doesn’t stop him from chasing down players to the sideline. In the play above, Robinson nearly took himself out of the play after shedding his block in the wrong direction, but he quickly changes direction and recovers to lay a nasty hit on the ball carrier for no gain.

Strength

It's clear that Robinson is a fiery competitor on the field. At one point, his former coach Nick Saban had to remind him that he wasn’t allowed to hit the quarterback during Alabama’s practices. That’s the sign of someone who loves the game and loves to put opposing players on their backs. And that’s exactly what A’Shawn Robinson does.

Watch the play.

A’Shawn’s strength is noticeable on tape. His long arms and enormous hands often allow him to strike first and control his opponents at the line of scrimmage. This particular play shows off the pop in his punch as he jolts the left tackle backward a few yards. Then a young child runs onto the field and gets knocked down by Robinson. Oh, wait, that’s just what a normal-sized running back looks like next to him.

Robinson exhibits his great strength when pushing the pocket in the passing game, but his ability to hold his ground in the run game is another major selling point.

Watch the play.

Whether he’s in a 1-on-1 situation or going up against double-teams, Robinson is immovable in the run game. He does a remarkable job of standing his ground and stuffing the ball carrier for a minimal gain, like in the play above.

Robinson’s towering frame enables him to fill gaps and forces the opposing team to exhaust resources by double-teaming him, which leads me to my next point.



The Facilitator

Let me make one thing clear: A’Shawn Robinson is not going to create for himself nor end up on the stat sheet as often as you’d like for a second-round pick. That might be a bit boring and difficult to grasp, but it’s not a bad thing. Think of Robinson as a facilitator. His biggest asset is his size, and he’s going to make his teammates a lot better by filling gaps and occupying double teams.

Watch the play.

Here is a play that does a nice job of illustrating what I mean. While the Crimson Tide runs a delayed twist with Robinson and Jarran Reed, there are three -- count them -- three linemen who come into contact with Robinson. That allows Bama’s edge rushers to collapse the pocket and finish the play with a sack.

Pass-Rush Concerns

Robinson’s biggest flaws come in the passing game. He is incapable of freeing himself from a double team and often struggles to win 1-on-1 situations. His bull-rush move can be effective, but it’s also the only move in his repertoire. He makes little attempt at countering after his initial efforts are stymied.

Watch the play.

There are a couple of problems with this play. First, Robinson actually does a solid job of keeping his pad level low and gaining leverage off the snap, however, once he gets about six yards into the pocket, his pad level begins to rise, and his pass rush stalls. This happened way too often when watching his film. Robinson’s pad level can be atrocious at times. He needs to do a much better job of staying low and consistently gaining leverage on his opponents.

The next critique that I have is even more frustrating, and that’s Robinson’s inconsistent level of effort. Pad level can be fixed, but not wanting to give it your all on every play is a little different.

Watch the play.

This is the type of play that will get you pulled from a game in the NFL. Robinson makes no attempt to rush the passer. Instead, he jogs around to his right, plays a game of patty cake with the left tackle and loses contain, letting the QB walk past him for an easy first down.

Outlook for 2016

A’Shawn Robinson is a destructive force in the run game, but his limitations as a pass rusher likely are the reason he fell to the Lions in the second round. I believe that Robinson is a better athlete than most give him credit for, but he’ll need to continue to develop and show some consistent effort if he wants to reach his potential.

We often praise players such as Von Miller and J.J. Watt -- those who are constantly racking up sacks and pressuring the QB -- but the unsung heroes are the big gap fillers and facilitators. Robinson is that type of player, and I have a feeling that he’ll make a big impact for the Lions’ defensive line sooner rather than later. He might even end up beating out Haloti Ngata for a starting role as a rookie.

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