2016 NFL Draft: San Francisco 49ers Picks, Grades and Analysis
By Jerod Brown
Round 4, Pick No. 35, 133rd Overall
Player: CB, Rashard Robinson, LSU
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 171 pounds
After sitting out for the last 65 selections, the 49ers spend their first pick on the third day to grab cornerback Rashard Robinson. General manager Trent Baalke addressed the trenches early, he grabbed a typical bargain-bin injured player and with the team’s fourth pick he gets another cornerback from the Southeastern Conference and LSU.
Robinson was suspended twice as a sophomore and sat out the entire 2015 season. The 49ers are making serious projections about what he could become. Every cornerback on the roster should be on high alert. There will be a ton of competition throughout camp and it wouldn’t be surprising to see more than a few names shipped out.
Strengths:
Robinson played in arguably the toughest conference in college football. He’s spent the last three seasons battling to see the field but he has ideal height and speed to compete. Despite a thin frame, Robinson doesn’t mind challenging receivers and he had an opportunity to do so at LSU.
He’s got more than enough speed and upside to make him worth a pick and the 49ers will be hoping they can help him commit to developing both physically and technically to reach what potential they see.
He showed impressive instincts for someone that realistically hasn’t spent enough time on the field. If the 49ers can get him on the field with some regularity, he’ll flash with impressive ability.
Weaknesses:
Robinson is incredibly lean and some will see that as a major issue when he is asked to face bulky receivers in the NFL. He’s wildly undeveloped due to a lack of playing time–he’s only played in 15 games–and his footwork will need to be refined. NFL receivers will chew him up and he won’t be able to rely on elite speed when everyone else is equally as fast.
Robinson doesn’t demonstrate significant play strength and he won’t be able to press NFL receivers without adding significant bulk and power. He has the height and length to battle for jump balls but, without much oomph coming along with him, he’ll struggle to deal with guys that can box him out.
Why He Fits:
The 49ers are approaching the portion of the draft where nearly every player that is called will come in to compete for depth roles. But before they get to the late picks, they’ve got to nail the end of the fourth round and the early picks of the fifth round.
Baalke and his team have made one thing very clear, the cornerback position is far from settled. Robinson will come in as a potential lockdown cornerback that could immediately push to be a starting boundary corner. After watching the tumultuous pass defense of 2015, it is clear that the 49ers believe they need significant upgrades in the defensive backfield.
After missing out on the free-agent cornerback class, it makes sense Baalke would spend to select cornerbacks. With many other pressing needs on the roster, selecting two cornerbacks with mid-round picks comes as a bit of a surprise and will force even more of a log-jam at the cornerback position.
Expect the 49ers to make at least one, if not more, trades throughout summer to unload some of the corners on the roster. Quite frankly, there simply isn’t enough room for all of these guys to make the active roster and practice squad.
Grade: B
Next: Round 5: Defensive End, Ronald Blair