Brian Robinson RB Scouting Report

[Jets Global]

Brian Robinson Jr. NFL Draft Profile Position: Running Back School: Alabama Current Year: RS Senior Height: 6'1" Weight: 225 pounds
Brian Robinson Jr. Scouting Report Robinson certainly looks the part as an Alabama running back. Listed at 6’1″, 225 pounds, Robinson has a dense, relatively high-cut frame. With this dense frame, Robinson shines as a physical back. He’s an aggressive finisher who uses his size to his advantage. He can lower his shoulder and grind out extra yards in short-yardage situations, and he can drag defenders with his steady leg drive through contact. Robinson also brings excellent contact balance. He can absorb direct contact and extend runs with his physicality. Additionally, in space, he can bounce off of defenders and maintain his momentum through contact. And amidst heavy contact, Robinson knows how to contort and stay on his feet to sneak out extra yards. Robinson’s footwork is exceptionally coordinated and perhaps the primary meshing agent for his game. The Alabama RB churns his feet as he approaches holes and can utilize shuffles, stutter steps, and gallops to adjust his angle and set up runs. He can also kick his feet up to avoid arm tackles in the backfield and has a natural feel for staying upright. Robinson’s ability to be patient and timely with his movements. He has the patience to read plays in the backfield and the explosion upfield when he has an opening. He knows how to control his throttle when approaching and navigating through congestion. Moreover, his vision is good enough to identify windows in the trenches. The Alabama product processes fairly quickly at the exchange and can react to invading defenders.
Areas for Improvement Robinson doesn’t quite have the elite athleticism to work out of early-contact situations consistently. He can become flat-footed when he tries to sink his hips too far and can get stuck in congestion. Although he has decently loose hips, there is some stiffness there, putting a cap on his elusiveness and creation capacity. Robinson is a little leggy with his hip transitions, and he’s not a very slippery or sudden athlete. He’s more of a short-area cutter, and although he has good nuance, he has fairly limited range with his moves. Robinson appears to have decent capacity sinking his hips, but he sometimes plays too upright in and out of his cuts. Also, while he has good long speed, he’s not elite there. He can gear up relatively quickly when he has a runway, but he has a ceiling in that regard. Robinson’s full-field vision isn’t exceptional. He sometimes misses open cutback lanes, deferring to congested areas up the middle. There are times when he has space to bounce outside and extend runs, but he instead dives up the middle for minimal gains. Furthermore, when Robinson gets caught in the backfield, he occasionally works backward, trying too hard to create. While Robinson is a solid blocker, he does tend to go too low at times. That not only sacrifices his balance but could draw penalties at the next level.
Brian Robinson Jr. Career at Alabama Despite coming in as the 198th overall recruit in his respective class, Robinson spent most of his Alabama career as a mere rotational player. In his first four seasons, Robinson accrued 274 carries for 1,361 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those are numbers that some running backs match in one season. But patience paid off for Robinson. And in his fifth year, the Alabama RB nearly accomplished just that. 2021 was a banner campaign for Robinson. Not only did the Crimson Tide ball carrier amass 222 attempts for 1,064 yards and 14 touchdowns, but he also entered the fray as a receiving threat. With 32 catches for 268 yards and 2 scores, he expanded on his previously known skill set and only added to his 2022 NFL Draft scouting report.
Brian Robinson Jr. NFL Draft Player Profile Robinson doesn’t appear to have the same physical upside that early-round Alabama backs like Henry and Najee Harris have shown in the past. But Robinson has the skill set to carve out a career as a solid NFL running back — and potentially at a bargain price in the 2022 NFL Draft. Robinson lacks elite initial burst, but he has above-average long-track explosiveness — enough to capitalize on openings and surge to the second level. From there, his direct, physical running style enables him to grind out additional yards. While he isn’t exceptionally creative in the backfield or at the second level, Robinson does have the ability to stack cuts and instinctively evade defenders. In fact, his initial footwork might be one of his best traits. Robinson might not be elite in any one area. But the Alabama RB boasts excellent size and contact balance, great footwork, good instincts and vision, and passable utility on passing downs. On top of that, he has under-the-radar elusiveness, which he can use to survive in the backfield and reach the second level.