The Dallas Cowboys had a need at cornerback entering the NFL Draft due to the huge loss of Byron Jones to the Miami Dolphins in free agency. Many had Florida corner CJ Henderson projected to the Cowboys at 17, however, he went ninth overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the second round, the Cowboys added Alabama corner Trevon Diggs, who was an absolute steal at 51. Before the draft, there were reports the Cowboys might double-dip at corner, and that’s exactly what they did. With the 123rd pick, the Cowboys added Reggie Robinson out of Tulsa and his unique set of skills.
Physical at the line of scrimmage/reads quarterback eyes well
One thing you look for in every corner is for them to be aggressive at the line of scrimmage in order to disrupt routes. Robinson being very physical once the ball is snapped forces the receiver to widen their patterns and throws off the timing of their route.
Reading the quarterback’s eyes is another aspect that’s very important when playing corner. Robinson uses this skill to adjust and attack the ball in the air at it’s highest point
Incredibly impressive INT from Robinson here. Reads the QB's eyes, sinks and attacks the ball at its highest point. Nice little tip drill before securing the INT. pic.twitter.com/RF5cwJZsJc
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 25, 2020
Uses hands to disrupt routes/doesn’t allow a lot of separation
When a corner can use your hands well at the line of scrimmage it can really throw a receiver off his route. Also, not allowing separation by widening release points can cause long days for a receiver. Robinson is very skilled at both of these aspects which makes him such an intriguing young player.
Really like how Robinson carries this inside release crossing route. Widens the WR's inside release then leans on him through the stem to prevent the push off to create separation. By leaning properly, it enabled Robinson to stay in-phase through the break. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/wEW160tijI
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) April 26, 2020
Once he was taken in the fourth round, Robinson gave his own evaluation of what his skill set was to the Dallas media.
“I’m physical,” Robinson said. “I’m an in-your-face type of corner. I like to press. That’s what I did most of my college career. I get in your face and I just harass you on the line of scrimmage.”
Another skill Robinson possesses is being a stud on special teams. During his days at Tulsa, he blocked a kick in each of his four seasons. This should make the Cowboys new special teams coordinator John Fassel happy, who during his days with the Los Angeles Rams had 15 players named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. It’ll be interesting to see how Fassel uses this particular skill that Robinson has as he attempts to fix special teams unit that was one of the league’s worst in 2019.
It’s one thing to be skilled in coverage as a corner, but when you can add value on special teams it can get you on the field even faster. Robinson will be behind Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, and fellow rookie Trevon Diggs on the depth chart so he’ll have some work to do. Nonetheless, the Cowboys cornerback room went up a level with the addition of Robinson.
