Chicago Bears draft pick Dominique Robinson is a nice blend of size, speed, and athleticism at the defensive end position. If he comes on strong during training camp he could make Robert Quinn that much more tradeable.
New Chicago Bears defensive end Dominique Robinson is an athletic freak who could very well wind up being the best player to come out of this Bears draft class. Robinson is a 6-foot-5 253-pound edge rusher from Miami of Ohio who exploded at the Senior Bowl and at the NFL Combine. The former wide receiver switched over to the defensive end position in college and wound up being drafted.
Robinson has the explosive first step and bend you hope to find on day one of the NFL Draft. He ran a 4.72 40-yard dash hit a 41-inch vertical leap which was among the best jumps of any player at the NFL Combine and had a 121-inch broad jump.
What you see on tape with Robinson is very rare athletic ability and speed off the edge. Certain traits you just can’t coach and Robinson has those qualities and they immediately jump out at you. The easiest thing for any player to do is run around and past the offensive tackle and Robinson makes it look effortless.
He also has decent eye discipline to keep contain but can then flash down the line to make plays against the wide zone run game. In the Senior Bowl he flashed early and often against better competition than he faced at Miami of Ohio. He wasn’t intimidated by the spotlight and showed he has the talent to compete against NFL ready prospects.
He’s not just a one trick pony, showing ability to convert speed to power to gain leverage and win with the bull rush. He has a very good frame to add more weight without having to sacrifice speed or athleticism. Physically he’s not a finished product which bodes well for his growth into a base 4-3 defensive end.
With his dynamic athleticism he could come in and play on special teams immediately while developing behind Robert Quinn. Israel Idonije and Brendon Ayanbadejo both cut their teeth in the NFL with the Bears as special teams demons.
This is where Dominique Robinson could earn the most playing time this year.
Now obviously any wide receiver who recently converted to defensive end has some weaknesses to their game. Robinson needs to develop his hand usage and overall rush technique. He relies too much on his speed to win and if he could get better with his skills he could become a solid player.
Dominique Robinson is a perfect draft selection in the fifth round because of his first round athleticism and tremendous upside. He flashes the same type of talent you’d otherwise see from a first round pick. If he really develops his game he could wind up being a steal in the same mold as Trevis Gipson another former fifth-round pick.
Obviously, the Bears don’t want to build their defense around fifth round draft picks with high upside but considering the lack of talent on the roster as a whole, these players will earn every opportunity to develop into future contributors.
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