49ers roster: Curtis Robinson faces a stacked linebacker corps

The 49ers boast a strong linebacker corps, which certainly works against Curtis Robinson and his chances to make the 53-man roster this season.

Earlier this offseason, Pro Football Focus tabbed the San Francisco 49ers as having the NFL’s best linebacker corps entering 2022.

PFF probably didn’t take into account second-year pro Curtis Robinson when compiling that list.

The former undrafted free agent out of Stanford has no shot at upending linebackers well above him on the depth chart, the likes of Dre Greenlaw, Azeez Al-Shaair and the All-Pro, Fred Warner, meaning Robinson will likely have to battle it out for what could be one of possibly two remaining spots on the roster.

It won’t be an easy task for the 24 year old.

Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com
Generated 7/19/2022.

Originally signed by the Denver Broncos after going undrafted in 2021, Robinson bounced back and forth from the practice squad before the Niners ultimately plucked him away and placed him on their own practice squad in late December of last year.

Ultimately, he got into three games and even recorded a tackle, yet the entirety of his work with San Francisco was on special teams.

Faced with an arduous task of impressing what’s still a formidable crop of depth at linebacker, does Robinson stand a chance in 2022?

Let’s find out.

Why Curtis Robinson impresses 49ers in 2022

Robinson was originally viewed as a priority free agent who has some athleticism behind his 6-foot-3, 235-pound frame. And as has been the case with more modern NFL linebackers, he’s shown the ability to double as more of a safety than a traditional backer.

That could work in his favor, as the 49ers have recently trended towards onboarding these kinds of linebackers, including a 2022 UDFA in San Diego State’s Segun Olubi.

At the collegiate level, Robinson had a small knack for breaking up plays in the backfield, recording 9.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks over four seasons with the Cardinal.

It’s that kind of effort Robinson will need to display during training camp and the preseason.

Why Curtis Robinson stays flat with 49ers before Week 1

Despite having some notable physical abilities, there’s not necessarily a lot that stands out about Robinson, both during his collegiate days at Stanford and on the limited on-field action he’s seen since going pro, including the preseason.

As someone who can frequently get lost in the defensive side of things, he’s by no means a playmaker and often fails to use his athleticism to impact the play in net-positive ways.

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Those traits are likely to be a detriment to his chances of hanging around beyond the preseason.

Chances Curtis Robinson makes 49ers’ 53-man roster in 2022

The 49ers are in a good spot when it comes to Robinson’s future. With no guaranteed money on his current deal, Robinson is an exclusive-rights free agent for 2023, meaning that if he ends up thriving this season, the Niners still essentially control his rights into next year.

However, getting a spot on the 53-man roster is going to be a massive challenge.

As noted, Warner, Al-Shaair and Greenlaw are safe, so the battle for a fourth or fifth spot will likely come down to Robinson, Olubi, Marcelino McCrary-Ball, Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles, Oren Burks and Jeremiah Gemmel.

That’s a pretty sizable group.

Two things work in Robinson’s favor: his ability to serve as a hybrid linebacker and some special teams prowess.

However, the questionable playmaking abilities could be a problem, which suggests Robinson might be one of those who wind up seeing some time late in preseason games before being waived and then facing an uncertain future beyond.