What Kind of Depth Will A'Shawn Robinson Bring to Giants' D-line?

Can the offseason addition of DL A'Shawn Robinson impact the Giants’ stacked defensive line?

Author:
Hunter De Siver
Publish date:
Jul 2, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

In this story:

A’Shawn Robinson, Defensive Lineman

Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 330 pounds
2022 Stats: GP 10 / GS 10. 42 tackles (two for loss), four QB pressures, three QB hits

Former Rams defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson signed a 1-year, $8 million deal with the New York Giants on April 24, hoping to become the final piece to the Giants’ stacked defensive line.

After three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, the 28-year-old Robinson, who spent most of last season dealing with a knee issue that ended his season with the Rams on November 28, hit the free agency waters in search of a fresh start. The former Alabama product spent his first four seasons in the league with the Detroit Lions after they selected him with the 46th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Robinson is a classic run-stuffer capable of tying up multiple blockers. His most productive season came in 2021, the Rams' Super Bowl campaign. Robinson recorded a career-high 67 tackles and tied his single-season best in sacks with two. He also recorded a career-best 44 stops, per Pro Football Focus.

The playoffs are where Robinson took his game to a new level in 2021. He recorded 22 tackles (in four games) and a sack in the Super Bowl.

Robinson spent the spring rehabbing his knee issue (torn meniscus) but should be ready to go for summer camp.

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Best Case Scenario

Robinson is the fourth piece to one of the best defensive lines in the league. Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence are the two defensive tackles, while Kayvon Thibodeaux lines up as a JACK linebacker—a hybrid between edge rusher and outside linebacker.

Robinson, who’s played defensive tackle in 6-of-7 seasons, will likely have to play some snaps as a defensive end when Thibodeaux drops back. However, Robinson’s lone season as a defensive end was arguably his best.

Robinson paired alongside Aaron Donald in 2022 as a defensive tackle, but he, and the Rams as a whole, weren’t what they were the year before, again likely due to the knee issue.

Transitioning back to defensive end on a stacked line could help, but that remains to be seen since Robinson was sidelined for the Giants during the spring.

Worst Case Scenario

Robinson’s been a solid player throughout his career, but pass rushing is not his strong suit. He has the same number of career sacks as in the years he’s been in the league (7) and has only recorded 20 tackles for loss.

That makes Robinson a two-down player at best, which is not a bad role. However, the big question with him is his knee. If he's not physically ready to roll when camp opens, that could put him behind his teammates.