New York Giants Training Camp Preview - CB Aaron Robinson

Rookie cornerback Aaron Robinson could end up one of the most underrated off-season acquisitions given his versatility.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jul 10, 2021 10:00 AM EDT

The Giants thought enough of UCF cornerback Aaron Robinson to trade up in the third round to get him, a move that some believe might have been prompted due to reports of the Eagles eyeballing Robinson in that round.

By adding Robinson, a tallish slot cornerback, to an already strong defensive backfield, the Giants got themselves a versatile player who, in addition to playing the slot, could be a candidate to take on some of the STAR (hybrid linebacker/safety role).

Here's a look at what else Robinson brings to the table.

What He Brings

Robinson is a very good athlete with enough speed and mobility to stick with receivers in man coverage and enough physicality to disrupt press-man coverage.

He also has enough awareness of the play, offensive concepts, and closing burst to play in zone concepts. He is consistently disruptive at the catch point, routinely knocking the ball away.

Robinson also has exceptional competitive toughness. Not only is he a physical, competitive cornerback at the catch point, but he is a willing run defender.

He is unafraid of contact when playing downhill and shows little hesitation when he needs to come up to fill the D-gap as a slot defender.

While Robinson is aggressive, physical, competitive, and disruptive at the catch point, he is not a ballhawk--he's recorded one interception in 30 games in college. Robinson also needs to balance being physical and avoiding the little yellow flags for being too grabby or interfering.

Finally, Robinson needs to gain greater consistency in his tackling. He racked up 17 missed tackles in his college career, 14 of those coming in one season. Arm tackles aren't going to cut it in the NFL, but this is correctable.

His Contract

Robinson is in Year 1 of a four-year rookie contract worth $5,143,292 and which includes a $1,100,576 signing bonus. He will count for $935,144 against this year's cap.

Roster Projection/Expectations

Robinson will likely compete with Darnay Holmes for the starting slot corner role, a rotation that will give the Giants a taller option in those instances where they face taller slot receivers/tight ends.

Robinson's range and physicality could also allow him to transition into something like a corner/safety hybrid “nickel defender” role. Robinson also has special teams experience and will likely contribute there as well.

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