2017 NFL Draft: Is OT Cam Robinson Really in Play for the 49ers?
By Peter Panacy
A recent CBS Sports mock NFL Draft has the San Francisco 49ers trading down from No. 2 overall and selecting Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson with their first pick. Niner Noise explores the feasibility of this happening.
Here’s the scenario — the San Francisco 49ers trade the No. 2 overall pick to the Cleveland Browns and get pick Nos. 12, 33, 108 and two second-round picks in 2018.
And with pick No. 12, the Niners pick up Alabama offensive tackle Cam Robinson.
That’s the suggestion made by CBS Sports’ R.J. White, who thinks San Francisco’s offensive line will be general manager John Lynch’s first priority in the 2017 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers
Moving down from No. 2 is a possibility. Lynch has even said the Niners are open to a trade here. So we can’t rule that out at all.
But Robinson?
Here’s White’s assessment of the pick:
"The 49ers are likely feeling out potential prospects to select if they move off No. 2. How else would explain a scheduled visit with Robinson, who has next to no chance to make it to them in the second round? The massive lineman would start immediately on the right side, helping to alleviate some of the concerns teams might have using him on the blind side."
Indeed, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Robinson would meet with San Francisco.
The 6-foot-6, 322-pound Robinson is one of the best offensive tackle in this year’s weak class at the position.
And it isn’t as if the Niners don’t need an upgrade here.
Assessing the 49ers Need
San Francisco’s 2016 offensive line was notably better than the 2015 version. But this group was far from perfect.
The Niners O-line ranked 30th in pass protection and dead last in run support a year ago, according to Football Outsiders. And only two linemen, left tackle Joe Staley and center Daniel Kilgore, posted Pro Football Focus grades above 70 — 81.4 and 72.8, respectively.
Guard Zane Beadles wasn’t particularly great, and then-rookie Joshua Garnett’s first year was disappointing.
Right tackle Trent Brown isn’t exactly a fit in a zone-blocking scheme either, and that’s what the Niners will be running under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
San Francisco acquired Pro Bowl center Jeremy Zuttah via a trade with the Baltimore Ravens, so that will help some. Centers are integral parts of Shanahan’s offense. The move makes sense. And yet a good deal of tweaking still needs to be done.
Staley will turn 33 years old this season, so his age is a concern. And Brown’s fit is a pressing question.
In terms of need, Robinson wouldn’t be a bad idea. But is he a fit?
Would Cam Robinson Even Be a Fit?
Our friend over at FanSided’s 12th Man Rising, Keith Myers, described Robinson as a good fit for a power scheme. Not zone.
“He belongs in a pure power scheme where he is only responsible for blocking the guy directly in front of him,” Myers wrote. “Drafting him into a zone scheme would be a disaster.”
Again, Shanahan won’t adjust his scheme just because of one player. It’s the prime reason he elected to let quarterback Colin Kaepernick walk via free agency this offseason.
And then there are Robinson’s off-the-field issues to comprehend.
CBS Sports’ Rob Rang laid out the concerns:
"The biggest concern with Robinson, in fact, could be off-field issues, including a troubling arrest prior to the 2016 season on weapons and drug charges that could make his performance during interviews at the Combine critical to his final grade."
San Francisco’s lack of talent means Lynch can’t be too picky when it comes to worrying about red flags. But we already saw Lynch react quickly when veteran cornerback Tramaine Brock was arrested for an alleged domestic violence incident. Brock was cut merely hours after news of his arrest broke.
So a precedent has already been set.
The Likely Reality
Not to throw shade at White’s mock draft, but this is a clear example of merely being creative during draft season and coming up with a scenario outside of the cut-and-dried mocks we often see this time of year.
So we can give credit to White for suggesting the Niners won’t hesitate to add more draft capital.
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They just won’t draft Robinson.
Ironically enough, White has Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster going at No. 15 overall to the Indianapolis Colts.
San Francisco’s trade down, and a subsequent selection of Foster, would make more sense.
Next: Examining 49ers' Top Options in the 2017 NFL Draft
But hey, it’s not our mock. It’s just ours to break down.