*Walt taking 2014 and 2018 |
Charlie Campbell, Senior Draft Analyst |
Demarcus Robinson Grading as a Late-Rounder
Updated Dec. 18, 2015By Charlie Campbell. Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell.
Every year in the NFL draft, there are early-round talents who slide to the late-rounds because of off-the-field issues. This year, one of the prime candidates for that is Florida wide receiver Demarcus Robinson. Sources say that Robinson has a first- or second-round skill set, but despite that physical talent, he is grading out as a sixth- or seventh-rounder because of character concerns. They say that Robinson could even go undrafted.
NFL evaluators and everyone around the Gators program has expected Robinson to skip his senior year in favor of entering the 2016 NFL Draft. Robinson was one of the breakout performers of the SEC in 2014, hauling in 53 passes for 810 yards and seven touchdowns despite playing in a horrible offense with struggling quarterbacks who led to Will Muschamp and his staff getting fired.
Robinson never got into a groove of production for the Gators this season. To conclude the regular season, Robinson was suspended against Florida State in a game where the Gators could have really used an offensive playmaker. It was the fourth contest that he was suspended from in the past three seasons. Entering the Bowl game against Michigan, Robinson has totaled 47 receptions for 505 yards with two touchdowns.
Sources say that Robinson has failed some drug tests at Florida and has received treatment a few times but issues still remain. They say that he needs 24/7 attention in terms of being woken up, going to class and practice, and overall just needs a lot of structure and mentoring. Even with those problems, teams feel that he loves football but needs an environment with guidance in order for Robinson to realize his potential as he lacks life skills.
As a player, teams love Robinson’s route-running and ability to get separation. They feel that he has playmaking potential for the next level. Multiple teams say that even with Robinson’s impressive skill set, there is just too much baggage. They are grading him as a sixth- or seventh-round pick and see the potential for him to go undrafted. With that being the case, Robinson may want to give strong consideration to returning to Florida for his senior year and improving his draft stock in 2016.
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