Dominique Robinson, Defensive End
The Chicago Bears had high hopes for Dominique Robinson. The team selected him in the fifth round of the 2022 draft. He was a converted wide receiver who had extreme athleticism and quickness.
Robinson has the tools to be a good edge rusher. However, he has not put it together yet. He garnered a lot of attention in his first career game. Against the San Francisco 49ers, he recorded 7 tackles, one for loss. He also had 1.5 sacks and 2 quarterback hits. It seemed that his development could come much quicker than anticipated.
Things have not progressed that way, however. After getting those sacks in his first game, he has recorded just half a sack in his next 33 games. Additionally, he has not had more than 6 total tackles since. He has just been a body and has not had any impact other than in his first game.
With the improved roster, the pressure on Robinson is high. The Chicago Bears need someone opposite of Montez Sweat to help protect him. They also have DaMarcus Walker and fifth-round pick Austin Booker.
Now the high hopes at defensive end are placed on Booker. He could be a steal despite playing in just 18 games and 505 total snaps. He looks like a seasoned pro at the position. He led the Kansas Jayhawks in tackles for loss in 2023 as a backup. He was the only player on the roster who recorded double-digit tackles for loss. Also, he ranked fourth on the team in total tackles.
Robinson has to show something in camp this year. In addition to the players already on the roster, there is the possibility of the Bears re-signing Yannick Ngakoue. While Ngakoue had the worst season in his career last year, he did show some improvement when Sweat came aboard. However, he suffered a fractured ankle that cut his season short.
If Ngakoue shows he is over his ankle injury and the Chicago Bears re-sign him, it could be bad news for Robinson. This might be his final shot at impressing the coaches and staying on the team.
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