Kentucky WR Wan'Dale Robinson Shines in Front of Steelers
There were well over a dozen NFL Draft prospects that took part in the Kentucky Pro Day on Friday in front of scouts and personnel from all 32 NFL teams. Amongst them was Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Personnel Coordinator, Brandon Hunt, who was the lone representative for the organization.
For Kentucky, there was one player who stood out from the rest of the pack. That player happened to be wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson.
Robinson, a former Nebraska transfer, took his talents to Lexington prior to the 2021 college football season. He then rewarded Big Blue Nation with an incredibly productive season full of jaw-dropping highlights as he finished the campaign with 1,144 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. His efforts would help Kentucky finish 10-3 on the season with a final ranking of 18th in the country.
Robinson started off the day with a remarkable bench press outing in which he was able to throw up 19 reps of 225 pounds. That mark is well above average for his position. Robinson is not known for his strength but he's got a very firm build for his stature, standing only 5'8.
Robinson elected to stand on his 4.44 40-yard dash time that he registered at the NFL Combine. He did participate in the 3-cone portion of the testing drills and posted a very impressive 6.79 second time. This would have been good for third best among receivers that chose to test at the NFL combine.
He also improved his vertical jump by leaping 35 inches.
As if those numbers were not impressive enough, Robinson saved the best for last as he would haul in passes from quarterbacks as the final session of the day was under way. Robinson ran routes from both inside and outside alignments showcasing his versatility for clubs.
Robinson's insane change of direction was something that was undoubtedly noticeable for scouts during his workout and matched what was all over his film. On slants and option routes underneath, Robinson displays a unique ability to get in and out his breaks without losing much speed.
In the Kentucky offense this past season, he was activated as a deep threat on occasion which was something he didn't do much at Nebraska. Those extra reps of practice paid dividends on Friday as Robinson made the highlight of the day on one of the final catches of the Pro Day.
Robinson was running a post route and the football was throw well off-target towards his outside shoulder. Robinson was able to adjust on the fly and track the football in over his left shoulder, making a circus catch while falling to the ground. Excitement and appreciation followed from the sidelines.
Robinson helped his draft stock this past season, proving to scouts that his receiving ability is legit and that he was more than just a gadget player. His short stature surely makes him a historical outlier for the position but there's no doubt that Robinson is talented enough to carve out a role at the next level.
In addition to be a crafty, explosive route runner underneath, Robinson is an electric ball carrier whenever he gets the football in his hands. There are examples on film where you can see his vision on display. At the next level, a creative offensive coordinator can properly utilize his skill set on screens, jet sweeps and even carries out of the backfield on occasion.
It doesn't hurt Robinson's stock that he also has experience as both a kick returner and punt returner in college. This could actually be his best shot to routinely get on the football field as a rookie and it wouldn't be surprising to see him excel in this role in the pros.
Despite the size concerns, Robinson is a very talented prospect in this year's class. His best attribute at the next level will likely be his ability to win on underneath routes out of the slot, in addition to his run after catch ability.
From the Steelers perspective, Robinson's services could end up being valued even more as they lost their starting slot receiver in JuJu Smith-Schuster and their starting return man, Ray-Ray McCloud.
There are some notable parallels to former Pitt WR/RB Quadree Henderson.
What makes that particularly interesting is that Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada was the play caller for Henderson and the Pitt offense back in 2016. Henderson was signed to the team as an undrafted free agent back in 2018.
If you're looking for a stylistic pro player comparison, I see a little bit of Taylor Gabriel in Wan'Dale Robinson's game. A player that can be a weapon out of the slot while scheming him touches underneath to get the ball in his hands as a runner. Gabriel played a half dozen seasons in the NFL, all of those in which he was a contributor on the offensive side of the ball.
Brandon Hunt was one of about 25 NFL personnel members that stayed until the very end Kentucky's Pro Day as the throwing session concluded. It could mean something or it could mean nothing, at all. One thing that is for certain, though, is Robinson would give the Steelers some much needed depth at a position of need.
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