Tag: alton robinson

2020 NFL Combine winners: EDGE rushers

Examining and identifying the top on-field EDGE rushers performances from the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine continued their on-field drills on Saturday night, this time featuring interior defensive lineman, EDGE rushers, and linebackers. As always, the workouts begin with the 40-yard-dash, and when they shifted into position drills, we got to see a handful of new drills.

The Lions could use help on the edge in a variety of ways and that means they’ll be paying attention to all the players in this group so they can keep their options open. Let’s take a look at those who earned positive marks today.

Alton Robinson, Syracuse

6-3, 264, 10 y/s: 1.65, 3-cone: 7.32, short shuttle: 4.32

You want a sleeper EDGE rusher that the Lions could consider on Day 2, let me introduce you to Alton Robinson. Athletically, he clears all five of the Lions’ benchmarks for EDGE rushers and backed it up in on-field drills. Additionally, not only does he come from the same Alma Mater as coach Matt Patricia, but the two spent the Senior Bowl week together on the North squad. He is flying under the radar after a down senior year but his junior year tape showed loads of potential.

Alex Highsmith, Charlotte

6-3, 248, 10 y/s: 1.68, 3-cone: 7.32, short shuttle: 4.31

Highsmith played everywhere from a 4i-technique to a standing rush edge at Charlotte but looks best suited for a JACK role in the NFL. He had a strong workout on Saturday night, looking fluid in his backpedal and lateral movement, played under control, and showed the ability to throttle speeds as needed. Athletically, he checked every box the Lions are looking for.

D.J. Wommum, South Carolina

6-4.5, 258, 10 y/s: 1.7, 3-cone: 7.25, short shuttle: 4.44

Wommum had a terrific cumulative day showing better athleticism than anticipated. Currently, he looks like a Day 3 pass rusher only, but he has the athleticism, length (34 1/8″ arms) and character (three-time captain) that the Lions look for.

Notes:

  • Several of the top EDGE rushers elected not to compete or were injured preventing them from competing, including Chase Young (OSU), K’Lavon Chaisson (LSU), Josh Uche (Michigan), Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State), Terrell Lewis (Alabama), Curtis Weaver (Boise State),  Julain Okwara (Notre Dame), Darnell Taylor (Tennessee), Khalid Kareem (Notre Dame), and Anfernee Jennings (Alabama).

Who and what to watch at the 2020 NFL Combine: EDGE rushers

The Lions Wire staff has identified which EDGE rushers Detroit Lions fans should be watching at the 2020 NFL Combine.

The 2020 NFL Combine on-field workouts begin Thursday, February 27th in Indianapolis but the EDGE rushers won’t take the field until Saturday, February 29th.

This is the latest in a series of articles leading up to this year’s NFL Combine, where the Lions Wire team has identified players they will be tracking in order to determine potential fits within the organization.

If you missed the previous articles in this series, be sure to check out our quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen, and interior defensive linemen previews.

EDGE rusher traits to evaluate

There are several on-field drills that emphasize a player’s abilities and the main areas Lions’ scouts will likely be focusing for the EDGE rushers are:

  • Bend, can they maintain speed when turning the corner?
  • Can they maintain balance when gearing up speed?
  • Reaction time, how quickly they transition.
  • Hand quickness and placement.
  • Head up. See the target, hit the target.

Chase Young, Ohio State

Suggested by: Bryce Rossler and Sonja Greenfield

The best player in the draft. If the Lions get lucky and Young falls to pick No. 3 — which is looking more and more like a possibility with the quarterbacks in this class — the Lions will likely run to the podium and turn their card in.

Young has a rare combination of traits. Size, speed, balance, bend, hand usage, and play recognition are all elite.

Young would line up at the down defensive end (DDE) position in Detroit with the option to rush from a standing JACK-like role at times. Despite the Lions just spending big money on Trey Flowers last offseason, the position is designed for two players to rotate through — creating constant pressure off the edge — with their additional snaps coming elsewhere (i.e. inside at 3-technique or at JACK).

Last season Flowers and Romeo Okwara rotated through the down defensive end position with Flowers seeing 62-percent of snaps and Okwara 53-percent. If the Lions land Young, they would split time between him and Flowers at DDE 100-percent of the time, while also being able to line them up next to each other around 25- to 30-percent of snaps.

A.J. Epenesa, Iowa

Suggested by: Jeff Risdon, Zack Moran, and Derek Okrie

A bigger version of Trey Flowers, Epenesa is expected to check-in over 6-5, 284-pounds and like Flowers, Epenesa can dominate from the DDE and 3-technique positions. He understands how to use his incredible length, is sound in his gaps, attacks with power, and is stout against the run. There may not be a better stylistic match between player and scheme in this entire draft than Epenesa and the Lions.

Bradlee Anae, Utah

Suggested by: Matt Urben

Anae played DDE under the Lions coaching tutelage at the Senior Bowl and absolutely dominated. Anae is more in the mold of Okwara, rather than Flowers, as he is capable of rushing from a standing position as well as with his hand in the dirt. He wins primarily with his first-step quickness, and while he will get knocked for his length (31.88″) he understands how to bend his body to maximize leverage. Once he establishes his front hand, he follows it with a variety of pass-rushing moves that keep offensive linemen guessing.

Curtis Weaver, Boise State

Suggested by: Scott Bischoff

Boise State used Weaver all over their defense, rushing him from the EDGE, from the interior, and routinely dropping into coverage, making him a true JACK linebacker. At roughly 265 pounds, he’s not as athletic or explosive as some of the lighter JACK linebackers in this class, but his intelligence, work ethic, and positional versatility will make him very appealing in the right scheme.

Julian Okwara, Notre Dame

Suggested by: Max Gerber, Scott Warheit and Ty Finch

Big things were expected from the brother of Lions EDGE rusher Romeo Okwara in 2019, but Julian had an underwhelming season that was cut short due to a broken leg, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of evaluators. Like his big brother, Julian is long, fast, quick, and athletic. Julian is expected to check-in under 250-pounds, and while he has the frame to add more weight, right now it negatively impacts his ability to set the edge. The lighter weight does allow him to drop into coverage, so depending on the team that selects him, he may need to maintain or gain weight. For the Lions, he would assuredly be a backup in year one with the upside to see significant snaps or start in year two.

Alton Robinson, Syracuse

Suggested by: Erik Schlitt

Like Okwara, Robinson was fantastic in 2018 but took a step back last season. He is a bit of a sleeper who the Lions got a long look at as part of the North squad at the Senior Bowl. Right now, Robinson can both rush the passer and set the edge but both need refinement. Like with Okwara, if the Lions grab Robinson, expect him to be a pass-rushing specialist in year one with the potential to play serious snaps or start in year two.

NFL Draft: 3 Senior Bowl players the Seahawks could consider

The Seattle Seahawks have used the Senior Bowl to inform NFL draft decisions in the past. Here are three players they could consider.

The Senior Bowl concluded on Saturday afternoon with the North squad defeating the South squad, 34-17.

The Seattle Seahawks have always used the Senior Bowl to evaluate talent, and plenty of recent draft picks (including 2019 first rounder L.J. Collier) shined during the contest.

As such, a list of high performers from the 2020 game could be a good starting point when evaluating potential targets for the Seahawks come draft day.

With a handful of positions in flux next season, including the offensive and defensive lines and the wide receiver spot, here are three Senior Bowl high-performers who could be on the Seahawks radar as they get ready for the combine and, eventually, the draft itself.

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5 standouts from the 2020 Senior Bowl for the Bills

5 standouts from the 2020 Senior Bowl.

A week of practice for more than 100 college seniors from across the nation culminated on Saturday with the 2020 Senior Bowl, where the North had a dominating 34-17 victory over the South team. The North won the game with a strong run game, and a great front-four that was rotated throughout the game.

Could the Bills be interested in any standouts from the game?

Let’s look at who stood out during the Senior Bowl and helped their draft stock before the NFL combine:

North defensive lineman Alton Robinson. Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

EDGE Alton Robinson, Syracuse

This is the beginning of the edge rushers that will be discussed because the North created consistent pressure with just four men. Not many people outside of Central New York saw Alton Robinson play during his time at Cuse but he had 19.5 sacks in his career, who has a variety of moves and a great motor.

During the Senior Bowl he had two sacks, the first was against the elusive Jalen Hurts where Robinson bullied his matchup and dragged Hurts down. His second was against Steven Montez where Montez escaped the initial pressure but, Robinson tracked him down and finish the sack.

The Buffalo Bills need more players who can pressure the quarterback, and Robinson is projected as a Day 3 pick, so he should be on the radar of Brandon Beane and Sean McDermott.

 

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2020 Senior Bowl: Giants meet with Eno Benjamin, Alton Robinson

The New York Giants have begun meeting with prospects at the 2020 Senior Bowl, including Eno Benjamin and Alton Robinson.

Things are well underway in Mobile, Alabama for the 2020 Senior Bowl with the first series of practices beginning on Tuesday. And for the New York Giants, they’ve wasted little time in meeting with several players who may pique their interest.

Walter Football reports that the Giants met with at least two prospects over the first day and a half of Senior Bowl week, including Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin.

Benjamin posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons before declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft, finishing his junior season with 1,430 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns. That comes on the heels of an even more impressive campaign in 2018 in which he finished with 1,905 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns.

Our friends over at Draft Wire recently called Benjamin “one of the best performing running backs in all of college football over the past two seasons.”

In addition to Benjamin, the Giants have also met with Syracuse defensive end Alton Robinson.

In 12 games this past season, Robinson recorded 22 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, 4.0 sacks and three passes defensed, which were down numbers in comparison to his 2018 season in which the edge rusher recorded 31 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks and three forced fumbles.

Over his three seasons at Syracuse, Robinson has recorded 32 tackles for a loss and 19 sacks.

Robinson is currently projected as a third-round pick over at Draft Wire, but a strong week in Mobile and then a solid NFL Combine experience could boost his draft stock significantly.

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Colts take new QB-WR duo in Draft Wire’s latest mock

Who did the Colts take in Draft Wire’s latest mock?

There are a number of ways the Indianapolis Colts can go about making their selections in the 2020 NFL Draft and even though we are still months away, the mock drafts are out in full force.

Following the National Championship game between the LSU Tigers and Clemson Tigers, our friends over at Draft Wire conducted a four-round mock draft. With it came a new quarterback and wide receiver duo for the Colts.

13. Indianapolis Colts

Jordan Love | QB | Utah State

Jacoby Brissett had his moments, but the Colts need to find a quarterback of the future with a higher ceiling. This may seem early for Love, but if he impresses at the Senior Bowl, he could easily lock himself into the top-15 conversation. He regressed statistically in 2019, but he’s got all the tools to develop into a franchise passer.

Love may have regressed during the 2019 season, but he did have to deal with a new offensive coordinator. If the Colts want to make him the pick, they are likely going to have to spend their first-rounder on him given the upside of his traits as passer.

As for the other part of the equation in the quarterback-wide receiver duo? The Colts wound up using their first of two second-round picks on LSU wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Jefferson, a speedy slot wide receiver with good size and electric movement after the catch, would be a nice addition to a wide receiver corps that needs some early-round investments.

Following the first two picks in the mock draft, the Colts focused on the defensive side of the ball. With their three remaining picks in the mock, the Colts selected Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, Syracuse EDGE Alton Robinson and Notre Dame safety Alohi Gilman, respectively.

Here’s how the four-round mock draft ended up:

  • Round 1 (No. 13): Utah QB Jordan Love
  • Round 2 (No. 34): LSU WR Justin Jefferson
  • Round 2 (No. 44): Oklahoma DT Neville Gallimore
  • Round 3 (No. 75): Syracuse EDGE Alton Robinson
  • Round 4 (No. 112): Notre Dame S Alohi Gilman

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2020 NFL draft: Bills go WR, DE in 2-round mock

The Draft Wire’s Christmas Day 2020 NFL mock draft for the Buffalo Bills.

In Draft Wire’s latest mock draft which was released with the Christmas holiday in mind, the Bills address their two biggest needs in the two-round 2020 NFL mock draft.

As many in Buffalo would like to see, the Bills take a wide receiver with No. 1 potential in the first round. Following up that pick, the Bills go edge defense and pass rusher in the second round.

It can be argued that those two picks are the two most important needs for the Bills to address heading into the offseason. That is, after the playoffs.

Here’s the two picks that Draft Wire laid out for Buffalo:

23. Buffalo Bills
Laviska Shenault, Jr. | WR | Colorado
Josh Allen has some solid role players in his receiving corps, but nobody with the combination of size, athleticism and physicality that Shenault brings to the table. A terror after the catch, Shenault would immediately be Allen’s most complete pass-catcher.

56. Buffalo Bills | Alton Robinson | EDGE | Syracuse

In 2020, it’s predicted that the wide receiver class will be deep. Shenault is a reason why. As described, he’d bring in the No. 1 mold for the Bills. Cole Beasley and John Brown have been efficient for Buffalo this season, but both aren’t young and aren’t top-wideout molds. There should be no issue with bringing in more talent to their receivers room for 2020.

Robinson is viewed as a potentially big time pass rusher at the next level, something the Bills very much need. But this one is also about who could be leaving Buffalo. Shaq Lawson is currently in a contract year while Trent Murphy could be a cut candidate next offseason. The Bills need some young, fresh blood that can get to quarterbacks.

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