Draft 2014 – Pick #1: Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn

Rankings:

NFLDraftScout.com: #2 player overall, #1 tackle. First-round grade.

Nawrocki: #1 player overall, #1 tackle. Grade: 7.60, eventual all-Pro.

Mayock: #3 player overall, #1 tackle.

Kiper: #4 player overall, #1 tackle.

DraftCountdown.com: #3 player overall, #2 tackle behind Jake Matthews. First-round grade.

Scouts Inc.: #2 player overall, #1 tackle. Grade: 97, rare prospect.

Biography/Honors:

2013: First-team all-SEC, second team all-America. Two-time SEC Academic Honor Roll. Started all 14 games at left tackle. Offensive line coach credited him with 130 knockdown blocks. Auburn had two 1,000-yard rushers and set school single-season records for rushing yards and rushing TDs (playing Mizzou didn't hurt).

2012: Started 11 games at left tackle. Benched one game.

2011: Redshirted.

Academics: left school with two years' eligibility remaining. Was majoring in public administration.

Injuries:

Robinson told teams at the Combine that he has had surgery on his right meniscus; have not found reporting of when this was done. Doubt it was recent.

NFL Combine Stats:

(2014 averages for tackles in parentheses) 40-yard dash: 4.92 (5.18 – Robinson was 2nd-fastest tackle)
10-yard split: 1.68 (1.76 – Robinson was 3rd-fastest)
Vertical jump: 28.5" (27.5")
Broad jump: 9"5' (8'8" – Robinson was 3rd-longest)
3-cone drill: 7.80 (7.78)
20-yard shuttle: 4.86 (4.69)
Bench presses: 32 (26)
Wonderlic score: 22

Scouting Report:

Rare combination of athleticism and strength. Excellent size, with long arms. Athletic and overpowering. Perfect body for the position. One of the best college run-blockers in recent years. Size, strength and aggression make him a dominant run-blocker. Will wipe out his side of the line for you. Gets off the ball well. Plays with good leverage. Good lower body power and impressive body control for his size. Natural bender. Uses hands well run-blocking and has good natural bend. Will drive defenders yards off the line. Strong punch. Good quickness and has a dancer's feet. Gets to second level quickly. Gets in position quickly as a down-blocker. Very good balance and quick feet makes him difficult for pass rushers to get around. Very good awareness. Very fluid movement. Respected team leader. Has physical and mental makeup to be one of the best in the league. Most upside of any o-lineman in the draft. Stands to be a franchise left tackle once his pass pro technique is refined.

  Not a finished product. Lacks experience and consistency. Must improve pass protection technique, especially using his hands. Auburn's offense did not require him to learn any pro technique. Rarely had to pass-protect in space. Auburn ran 70% of the time. Needs to finish blocks better. Doesn't always sustain his blocks and will let defenders under or around him. Especially doesn't seem to finish blocks on plays away from his side. Handwork and footwork have to improve or he will draw a lot of holds in the pros. Pad level is inconsistent enough to get him in trouble. Still learning to recognize and adjust to blitzes. Needs to improve switching off blocks. Can get too aggressive and overextend himself and lose his balance.

Compares to: D.J. Fluker, Anthony Davis

Fun Facts:

Greg didn't start playing offensive line until his junior year of high school. He is also a two-time Louisiana state shot-put champion.

RamView:

Improving the physicality of the offensive line is a must for the Rams, who were outmanned in almost all of their NFC West games last season and have to improve in the division to have realistic playoff hopes. There’s reason to be a little leery that Robinson isn’t a refined pass-blocker and comes from a team that passed on 30% of plays, but if he starts here at guard as expected, the Rams will be able to go toe-to-toe with the 49ers, Seahawks and Big Dead. I liked Jake Matthews better because of his pass-blocking ability, but if the Rams tap Robinson’s athletic upside, that’s hardly going to matter, because they’ll have themselves a franchise tackle in 3-4 years. Thumbs pretty far up.

Sources: NFL Draft 2014 Preview (Nolan Nawrocki), NFLDraftScout.com, DraftCountdown.com (Scott Wright), Scouts Inc., The Sports XChange, Auburn University athletics, Sports on Earth, CBS Sports, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Ramview (Mike Franke)

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