If your favorite NFL team is looking for the best value at cornerback in the 2020 NFL draft class, Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson II just might be their man.
A big, physical cover man with impressive speed and athleticism, Robinson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his career playing for the Golden Hurricane, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.
JM: As you continue to prepare for the next level, how do you look back on your time at Tulsa?
RRII: I learned so much in my five years there, both about life and football. I grew from a boy to a man at Tulsa. Five years is a long time. I’m so grateful for my time there. I received the best coaching of my life at Tulsa. I look back at it as a great experience.
JM: You posted 34 career pass break-ups at Tulsa. What is it about your game that allowed you to be around the ball so often?
RRII: I feel like my length and my speed have played the biggest factors in those numbers. Those are the things that allowed me to be around the ball so often. I can keep up with everybody and use my length to get my hands on the ball. It’s all about disrupting the catch point really. I use my long, athletic body to stay around the ball.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
RRII: It was a great experience. I enjoyed playing a role in an event that gets all of us great collegiate athletes from around the nation in one building. It’s such a special event. It gave me a great chance to show off my skills. The whole process is really great.
JM: It’s a longer, more difficult process than a lot of people realize, isn’t it?
RRII: Yeah, most people just see the end product (laughs). The first couple of days leading up to the testing can be pretty taxing. There’s a lot of poking and prying that goes on. They do some very thorough medical checks. I get it though, they have to make sure everything is good with our bodies. They check for pretty much everything. It’s a long process before we even hit the field. We haven’t even discussed the team interviews and everything else that happens. I was just so thankful to be there. It gave me a terrific opportunity.
JM: You ran an excellent time of 4.44 in the 40-yard dash. It’s even more impressive when you factor in your size (6-1, 205 pounds), right?
RRII: That was a big question mark surrounding me. Every interview I had, every team asked me about my speed. They were all anxious to see what I was gonna run in the 40. I guess my film doesn’t showcase my speed? I don’t know what to say (laughs). My long speed kept coming up in conversation. I finally put those concerns to bed at the combine.
JM: Do you feel like you surprised a lot of people with your testing results?
RRII: Yeah, I definitely think I turned some heads and surprised some people. I didn’t surprise anybody in my hometown or back at Tulsa. They all knew what I was gonna do. They know what I’m capable of. They already knew that I’m an athletic guy. I’m quick and strong. I definitely surprised some people on a national level though. The scouts were definitely surprised with what I did at the combine.
JM: Did you have a lot of formal or informal interviews at the combine?
RRII: I took care of a lot of my formals at the Senior Bowl. At the combine, it was more of the informal variety for me. I had basically met everyone at the Senior Bowl already.
JM: What’s your favorite part about playing the cornerback position?
RRII: I love the competition aspect of it. The one-on-one aspect is my favorite part. It’s me against you. We played a ton of press coverage at Tulsa. I had to survive in man coverage. It prepared me for what’s next. I love being in somebody’s face.
JM: Do you approach a smaller, shiftier receiver differently than you do a bigger, more physical one?
RRII: I think you have to play every receiver differently. Playing cornerback, I love getting my hands on a receiver. With those smaller and shiftier types, you have to give yourself a little bit more room to work with. That allows you to react a little bit better to what they’re doing.
JM: Were you able to get in any private visits or workouts before COVID-19 shut everything down?
RRII: Unfortunately, I was not. Everything was scheduled to go down after my pro day. Everything started to get canceled about one or two days before pro day. We had to rush our pro day actually. The meetings that were supposed to happen a day before pro day got canceled. Everyone was getting pulled back home due to the virus. My pro day happened on a Thursday. Everybody scattered once it ended. I didn’t have the opportunity to meet anybody in person.
JM: Who are some of the teams that you were supposed to meet with?
RRII: I was supposed to meet with about two or three different teams. The New York Giants were one of them. I had the Houston Texans as well.
JM: Have you moved your meetings to the phones since then?
RRII: Yeah, I’ve had a few discussions. We’ve done some things via FaceTime. I’ve had a few informal phone calls. I’ve spoken with the Los Angeles Rams and the Giants as well.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
RRII: Honestly, I didn’t get any strange questions. Most of my questions were pretty generic. They were just asking me about my skill set as a cornerback really. I didn’t get anything strange. I’ve always heard stories about those weird questions though. I was fully ready for one of them (laughs). It never came though.
JM: Is there a scheme that you prefer to play in at the next level? What did Tulsa primarily run?
RRII: I’m ready to play in any scheme. We ran a 3-3-5 at Tulsa. We played a bunch of man coverage. We played a lot of Cover-2 as well. I’m well prepared for whatever comes my way.
JM: Earlier, you said that you love playing man coverage and getting in somebody’s face. What’s your favorite way to demoralize the receiver across from you?
RRII: I love hitting them with that first stick (laughs). I love getting in his face. When I first line up, I might give him the illusion that I’m playing off coverage. Before the snap, I come down and get right in his face. I try to switch it up and get in his head before the ball is snapped. I throw my hands at him and jam him up.
JM: What kind of guy is Reggie Robinson II going to be at the next level?
RRII: They’re getting a versatile athlete. Whatever they want me to play, I’m gonna be back there playing it. I’m gonna give it my all.
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