Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Alton Robinson

After a surprising rookie year, Robinson will aim to take the next step forward and grab hold of an expanded role for the Seahawks. But will the arrival of several veteran pass rushers provide an insurmountable road block for him?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jun 28, 2021 7:30 PM EDT

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than two months. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Alton Robinson, Defensive End

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 264 pounds

2020 Stats: 22 tackles, 4.0 sacks, five tackles for loss in 14 games

Sliding to the fifth round after a somewhat disappointing senior season at Syracuse, Robinson arrived to his first training camp with the Seahawks bulked up to close to 270 pounds. While that development initially worried coach Pete Carroll, those concerns quickly went away as he emerged as one of the team's biggest surprises in August. Though he was a healthy scratch for the first two games of the regular season, he eventually carved out a role in Seattle's pass rush rotation and made the most of his limited opportunities, including recording critical fourth quarter sacks in wins against Dallas and Washington. He also was unexpectedly stout against the run, making several key stops in the backfield off the edge and setting the stage for more playing time in the future.

Best Case Scenario: Building off his stellar rookie campaign, Robinson picks up where he left off and dominates throughout training camp and the preseason, edging Benson Mayowa and Aldon Smith for the main reserve role at LEO defensive end behind starter Carlos Dunlap.

Worst Case Scenario: Suddenly facing a crowded defensive end group, Robinson isn't able to stand out with limited chances in the preseason and falls towards the bottom of the depth chart, seeing a decline in production compared to his rookie season.

What to Expect in 2021: Despite his unexpected contributions a year ago, Seattle's busy offseason loading up on veteran pass rushers makes it tough to prognosticate how Robinson will perform in his sophomore campaign. On one hand, after seeing an uptick in playing time in the second half of the 2020 season, he seems poised to take on a more expanded role and his ability to play both defensive end spots helps his cause. But on the flip side, there are only so many snaps each week and the presence of Dunlap, Mayowa, and potentially Smith would provide multiple road blocks to prevent him from seeing the field often. Being just 23 years old, his roster spot shouldn't be in jeopardy. However, depending on Smith's availability, it remains uncertain how much he will actually play on game day and training camp will provide a better idea where he fits into the Seahawks' pass rushing puzzle.