49ers’ 2019 ‘Who Is?’ series: Defensive back Tyree Robinson
By Peter Panacy
The San Francisco 49ers brought in former University of Oregon defensive back Tyree Robinson late in 2018, and he’ll face an uphill climb to crack the back end of the 53-man roster this season.
A year ago, the San Francisco 49ers were suffering a ton of injury attrition, particularly within the secondary. So, in an attempt to provide some much-needed depth, the team signed former University of Oregon defensive back Tyree Robinson off the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad in December of 2018.
Entering 2019, however, the Niners secondary aims to be fully healthy, which doesn’t bode well for Robinson’s chances to hang around.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Robinson never saw action in a regular-season game. But he had some fairly impressive numbers during his four years with the Ducks:
| Tack | Tack | Tack | Tack | Tack | Def | Def | Def | Def | Def | Fumb | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Solo | Ast | Tot | Loss | Sk | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR |
| *2014 | Oregon | Pac-12 | FR | DB | 15 | 26 | 10 | 36 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| *2015 | Oregon | Pac-12 | SO | S | 13 | 38 | 26 | 64 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 3 | 61 | 20.3 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 2016 | Oregon | Pac-12 | JR | DB | 12 | 44 | 9 | 53 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 84 | 84.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| *2017 | Oregon | Pac-12 | SR | CB | 12 | 30 | 18 | 48 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 135 | 67.5 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Career | Oregon | 138 | 63 | 201 | 5.5 | 2.0 | 6 | 280 | 46.7 | 2 | 17 | 4 |
Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 6/28/2019.
He played a variety of positions, too, which should help him increase the chances of cracking the back end of the 53-man regular-season roster.
That said, he still faces long odds to stick around.
Why Tyree Robinson Improves in 2019
The 49ers experienced a bit of a shortage at free safety during OTAs, namely with Jimmie Ward suffering a broken collarbone. San Francisco moved defensive back Tarvarius Moore from cornerback to safety, which could open up a chance for Robinson to compete for one of the depth boundary positions during camp.
Robinson’s frame looks to be the part, which is a plus, and a U of O football blogger told Niner Noise the defensive back had some of the better fundamentals within the entire Pac-12 in 2017.
Why Tyree Robinson Regresses
Robinson had decent speed, running a 4.54 40-yard time at his pro day. But it didn’t always show up on the field, and Robinson could be prone to taking bad angles over the course of some coverages.
And while his versatility lends itself to be useful, there isn’t exactly one area in which Robinson thrived at the college level, essentially living up to the phrase “a jack of all trades, master of none.”
Plus, it will be hard for Robinson to see a lot of decent reps during training camp with so many other players ahead of him on the 49ers depth chart.
Chances of Making the 49ers’ 53-Man Roster in 2019
The Niners signed Robinson out of some desperation last year, and he’ll have to have one of the best training camps in recent memory to hang around into Week 1.
That, or San Francisco suffers crazy injury attrition between now and September.
Perhaps the best shot for Robinson would to see how the position battle at strong safety pans out. But with Jaquiski Tartt and Marcell Harris looking to be the top two competitors here, Robinson’s chances are going to have to rely heavily on his versatility within the defensive backfield.
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Those attributes could make him a favorite to land on the practice squad, though, as the 49ers may want to keep someone capable of playing multiple positions in reserve.