A bit of the excitement and shine always wears off the NFL Draft by the time Round 4 rolls around. The primetime lights are gone; it’s early afternoon on a Saturday. The commissioner has cleaned out his jar of M&Ms, hung up his sweater, and could well be out mowing the lawn.
But it’s no time for front offices to ease up on their late-round picks. The fourth through seventh rounds are critically important to every team’s long-term roster building; as ESPN noted to begin their broadcast, 65% of players in the 2019 season joined their teams after Round 3 of the draft.
The Cowboys continued their 2020 restocking efforts by selecting cornerback Reggie Robinson II out of Tulsa with the 123rd overall pick. As a high schooler in Cleburne, Texas, Robinson played both wide receiver and corner. At Tulsa, he ascended to a starting spot in the Golden Hurricane’s secondary as a redshirt freshman and never gave up the spot.
As a senior, Robinson earned first-team All-American Athletic Conference honors after leading Tulsa with four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He also posted 38 tackles (one for loss) and two fumble recoveries. Also a special teams contributor, Robinson managed to block a kick in each of his four seasons. He was invited to the 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile.
According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
“The size, length and ball production offer up hope, but Robinson’s lack of speed and athletic traits could prevent him from maintaining playmaking positioning as a pro. He has average instincts, but his length can be a disruptive factor in close quarters. If he can crank up his run-support intensity, he might get looks as a zone corner or a safety.”
Robinson will compete in training camp with fellow rookie corner Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys’ second-round pick from Alabama. The two join a cornerback group in Dallas that includes Jourdan Lewis, Anthony Brown, Chidobe Awuzie, and Maurice Canady. The Cowboys lost Pro Bowl cornerback Bryon Jones during free agency in March.
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