Tag: Wan’Dale Robinson

Was Giants pick Wan’Dale Robinson ‘drafted by the wrong team?’

New York Giants second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson has been named a player “drafted by the wrong team.”

The 2022 NFL draft has come and gone and the postmortems are pouring in. Now comes the analyses of which players landed in the right spots.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport recently published a piece to help point out some of those mismatches, one of which is New York Giants’ second-round pick, Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

The Giants, who entered the second round still needing help at linebacker, in the secondary and at tight end, traded back twice from No. 36 down to No. 43 and then selected Robinson as if they knew he would still be there. There’s a good reason for that. Everyone knew Robinson — a projected Day 3 pick by many — would still be on the board.

The reason for that thinking? Robinson, although highly productive in college, is only 5-foot-8 and considered more a “gadget” player than a legitimate NFL slot receiver. Plus, the Giants already had a similar player in last year’s first-round pick, Kadarius Toney.

From Davenport:

His 4.44-second 40-yard dash speed helps to compensate for his lack of size, and Robinson is shifty in space and runs good routes.

But he is a significantly undersized slot receiver. And given the myriad of needs the Giants had entering the draft (especially in the trenches on both sides of the ball), spending a second-round pick on an undersized slot receiver was a curious selection, especially after Schoen went out of his way to quell the rumors that the team was trying to trade Kadarius Toney.

It would have been better for Robinson to fall multiple rounds and start off with an established quarterback like in Tennessee, Dallas or Buffalo. Early expectations would then be tempered.

Now he carries second-round expectations on a bad team with a crowded depth chart at receiver and one of the league’s worst situations under center.

All true. Robinson, who should have been an “add-on” to the offense must now play a significant role in order to justify his draft status. That may prove to be too much pressure for him to take on.

The only ways this pick made any sense was if the Giants had traded Toney, which was a possibility regardless of how much the Giants pooh-poohed the idea in public.

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Shaun O’Hara a big fan of Giants’ draft class

Shaun O’Hara came away impressed with the New York Giants’ 2022 NFL draft haul — especially their first few picks.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen conducted his first-ever draft last week and came away with an 11-player class. Most picks were considered solid, especially in Round 1.

While not many thought the Giants won the draft overall, Big Blue did add more estimated value than any other team. Not only that, but the Giants’ draft class also brought with them impressive RAS scores.

Former Super Bowl champion Shaun O’Hara is a big fan of the overall haul. The retired Giants offensive lineman is a frequent fill-in on NFL network’s Good Morning Football and praised Schoen (and his picks) this week.

Pre-draft scouting reports: What was said about Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson?

A look back at what was said about New York Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson before he was selected No. 43 overall in the 2022 NFL draft.

The New York Giants selected Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson with the 43rd overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

“Good football player we’ve had our eye on, generator with the ball in his hands, very good run after the catch, very good route runner, can separate,” general manager Joe Schoen said of Robinson after drafting him.

“And for what we are going to do offensively, we thought he would be a very good fit for us.”

Here’s some pre-draft scouting reports on Robinson from around the draft-o-sphere.

Giants pick Wan’Dale Robinson promises to be an exciting playmaker

New York Giants second-round pick Wan’Dale Robinson promises to be a “tough, elusive and exciting” playmaker.

The New York Giants selected Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson with he 43rd pick in the 2022 NFL draft. The selection was a bit of a surprise to experts as Robinson was widely considered a Day 3 pick, not a second rounder.

The Giants thought otherwise and took the 5-foot-8, 178-pound slot speedster who earned All-SEC honors last year by grabbing 104 passes for 1,334 yards, which are both school records.

Robinson’s size has always been questioned but he has not let that hinder his progress nor his production.

“I’ve heard that my whole entire career, so it’s nothing new to me,” he told reporters on Friday night. “At the end of the day just another obstacle you’ve got to overcome just with what people think. For myself, I don’t think it’s a challenge or anything.”

Robinson is seen as a redundant piece in the Giants’ offense as they already have Kadarius Toney, the team’s top draft pick from a year ago, who does pretty much what Robinson does but on a higher level.

“I wasn’t in the SEC the years that he was there. So, I didn’t get to see him in person but I know who he is,” Robinson said of Toney. “I think we probably do some of the things that are similar and can do things that are alike in the short game and intermediate game and things like that. But at the end of the day, we are just play-makers I think.”

The mindset is the Giants now have two shifty wideouts in their arsenal. General manager Joe Schoen insists the Giants are not dealing Toney, so Robinson isn’t here to replace him but to supplement him.

Robinson is up against some long odds. He was clearly over-drafted (if you listen to draft experts) but that is not his fault. Ha can only go out and prove he is worthy of the pick.

“I always felt like I was talented enough to be picked this early. I just felt like somebody just had to believe in me and not believe in the hype thing and just believe in the football player,” he said.

Robinson plans to do whatever the Giants need him to do once he gets to New Jersey.

“Just come in and be a versatile piece and just do a lot of different things for the offense. At the end of the day, I just want to come in and help the team win,” he said.

As for what type of player the Giants are getting in him, he knows exactly who he is.

“A tough, elusive, exciting — just a playmaker,” he said.

And in this man’s NFL, you can’t have two many of those.

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Giants select WR Wan’Dale Robinson: 3 things to know

The New York Giants have selected Wan’Dale Robinson in the 2022 NFL draft, so here are three things to know about Big Blue’s newest WR.

The New York Giants selected Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson with the 43rd pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Who? Here’s three things to know about the newest Giant.

Giants select Wan’Dale Robinson in NFL draft: How Twitter reacted

The New York Giants selected WR Wan’Dale Robinson in the 2022 NFL draft and here is how Twitter reacted.

The New York Giants had perhaps one of the biggest nights in Day 1 of the 2022 NFL draft with the selections of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Evan Neal.

They kicked off Day 2 in the second round with the 43rd overall pick and selected Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

The Giants had the 36th overall pick to start the night but traded it to the New York Jets. They then had the 38th overall pick and traded that to the Atlanta Falcons.

How did Twitter react to the pick of Robinson for the Giants?

The pick of Robinson seems to be one that has fans wondering what the Giants have planned for their wide receiver group.

Could Darius Slayton be traded soon? Or even Kadarius Toney? We shall see.

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2022 NFL draft: Giants select WR Wan’Dale Robinson in Round 2

With the No. 43 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Giants select Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

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Following a series of second-round trade backs, the New York Giants ended up selecting at No. 43 overall. With that pick, they chose Kentucky wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson.

Leading up to the 2022 NFL draft, speculation began to run rampant that wide receiver had climbed their list of needs. And while many expected general manager Joe Schoen to target the position later in the draft, they instead dropped an unexpected second-round pick on a receiver.

Robinson is an electric and elusive player with the ball in his hands, but still needs to round into shape at the NFL level. He’s a bit undersized and has an undefined role.

Here is what NFL Network draft guru Lance Zierlein had to say about Robinson:

Robinson will be tabbed as a slot receiver but that is underselling his potential. He’s sudden and slick with an ability to make plays from a variety of alignments. He has gadget potential and can function as a dump-and-run target, acting as an extension of the running game. A lack of length and play strength could be a concern until he tightens up the route-running to prevent contested catches. He’s much lighter than Deebo Samuel, but the competitiveness, acceleration and run-after-catch talent could have teams eyeing a somewhat similar usage for Robinson in the future.

The 5-foot-8, 178-pound Robinson will join a group that currently consists of Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Kadarius Toney and Darius Slayton.

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The most underrated prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar reveals his most underrated prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class.

When we media yahoos talk about “sleepers” in any draft class, it’s true what NFL teams will tell you — it’s generally a case of the media simply catching up to what those teams have known about those prospects for months. Perception versus reality means that what we’re really talking about are prospects we’re just getting around to after the top-tier players at every position.

So, maybe it’s better to say for the purposes of this exercise that the prospects you see here are the ones whose tape stands out beyond the recognition they’ve gotten. With days to hours left until the 2022 draft, these players are the ones you may not have heard of, or have experienced in passing but haven’t watched, or have watched and wondered where they might be drafted.

Any of these guys going in the first round would be a longshot, but they each have remarkable attributes that show their professional potential, and could seal their NFL futures.

Projecting where ten former Big Ten wide receivers might go in the 2022 NFL draft

Projecting where ten former Big Ten wide receivers might go in the 2022 NFL draft #GoBucks #NFLDraft

Welcome to April. It’s officially NFL draft month and with every passing day, we get closer and closer to seeing some former college football stars get paid and possibly become stars. I wanted to take a deep dive into the majority of the familiar names from the Big Ten in the upcoming draft class.

Today I take a look at the former Big Ten wide receivers that could hear their names called during the 2022 NFL draft and try to project which round they may get taken in. This year there are many former Big Ten wide receivers in the class that have the skill and goods to make it at the next level.

So, let’s get to all the fun.

2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: WR Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky

Wan’Dale Robinson enters NFL draft after tearing up SEC secondaries last year.

Wan’Dale Robinson won the Kentucky Mr. Football as a high school senior in 2018 and he was an elite athlete that played quarterback, receiver,  running back, safety, linebacker, punt returner and kick returner. He initially committed to Kentucky but then switched to Nebraska.

Robinson entered his college career as a hybrid player that was primarily a running back. His usage was more evenly split as a sophomore when he totaled 97 touches. Robinson wanted to be a wideout, so he entered the transfer portal for 2021 and committed back to Kentucky where he played for one season as a dominating receiving. He ended with 104 catches that included eight games with at least eight receptions while playing in the SEC.

Height: 5-8
Weight: 178 pounds
40 time: 4.44 seconds

One of his knocks will be that his college measurements were given as 5-11 in height and 185 pounds. At the NFL Combine, he became 5-8 and 178 pounds. That’s lighter than almost any other starting wideout in the NFL. DeVonta Smith was drafted last year at 175, but now lists at 180. But he’s also 6-0, not a diminutive 5-8.

There’s no denying how well he played against top college competition last year, and he’s been a sore spot for Nebraska’s head coach Scott Frost since he did not use him to his potential. There are plenty of promising characteristics for Robinson, but they’ll balance against the few notable concerns.

Also see: 2022 NFL Draft Central

Table: Wan’Dale Robinson NCAA stats (2018-21)

Year School Games Catch Yards Avg. TD Runs Yards TD
2019 Nebraska 10 40 453 11.3 2 88 340 5
2020 Nebraska 8 51 461 9.0 1 46 240 2
2021 Kentucky 13 104 1334 12.8 7 7 111 7

Pros

  • Deep threat playmaker
  • Explosive first step that creates and maintains separation
  • Dangerous in the open field
  • Can score on any play
  • Abuses coverage on vertical routes
  • Excelled against top SEC competition
  • Offers versatile usage with rushing ability
  • Sharp route runner
  • Elite stop-and-go acceleration
  • Projects as a slot receiver that won’t be covered by a linebacker

Cons

  • Only one season as a starting wide receiver
  • Small frame (5-8, 178 pounds) biggest concern against elite NFL press coverage
  • Smaller catch radius
  • Not likely to be considered for outside role
  • Fast but not truly elite speed

Fantasy outlook

Wan’Dale Robinson has been an explosive playmaker that can impact the game on any catch. He was used as a true wideout in only one season but dominated secondaries when he did.  He’s been likened to Tyreek Hill though he’s a bit smaller (Hill 5-10, 185) and more importantly slower (4.44 vs. 4.29 40-times). Also to Brandin Cooks (5-10, 4.33 40-time). Those NFL wideouts have been highly successful, but their slightly larger frames and faster speed are undeniable difference makers.

Robinson should be a lock to play the slot. He’s been successful against top-end college defenses, but in a league where every defensive back was a star coverage back in college, he’ll have to prove himself again. Robinson won’t offer a big target radius for a quarterback who will need to be more accurate to connect with him. But – he runs precise routes and doesn’t drop passes.

The NFL is ever evolving, and there are more opportunities for versatile backs that can be used in a number of roles. Cooks and Hill aside, there are plenty of past receivers that couldn’t find success in the NFL after wowing in college thanks in large part to the realities of smaller size. And Robinson only played as a true starting wideout for one year (but 104 catches proved he made the transition with ease).

He could have a quieter rookie season learning the NFL way and how to apply his strengths against defenses. If he ends up with one of the more accurate quarterbacks in an offense that loves to pass, he’ll become a fantasy factor even this year. He’s most likely a third-round pick but will become a hot property on Day 3 if he falls that far.