49ers Week 3 stock watch after Thursday night loss to Rams
By Peter Panacy
Cornerback Rashard Robinson
One might start to wonder if second-year cornerback Rashard Robinson was pushed into a starting role prematurely.
Yes, Robinson got off to a hot start his rookie season. But he fell off over the course of 2016, eventually finishing with a 61.8 overall grade, per Pro Football Focus. Not bad, but not exactly worthy of a No. 1 spot either.
Through three weeks, Robinson’s PFF grade is a lowly 34.9 — lowest among all San Francisco defensive backs.
And another thing has started to plague Robinson’s development: penalties. He had three against the Rams, according to PFF’s Jeff Deeney:
That's a hat trick for Rashard Robinson tonight. #49ers
— Jeff Deeney (@PFF_Jeff) September 22, 2017
One of them was questionable, as Robinson appeared to turn his head to track the ball. But Robinson has now established himself as a defensive liability in this area.
The good news is Robinson is young and still developing. Young defensive backs tend to go through these struggles the first year or two at the NFL level, so this might not be as big a surprise.
Still, the Niners could stand for some top-level cornerbacks this upcoming offseason, as its current group — outside nickel corner K’Waun Williams — has been pretty sub par.