Lions Draft Prospect: Cam Robinson – Alabama
By Matt Urben
With the 2017 NFL Draft still months away, there are dozens of potential targets for the Detroit Lions with the 21st pick of the first-round. Based on pre-combine projections, I will be highlighting individual players whom the team could be interested in. Today’s focus is on an Alabama offensive lineman that could help Detroit’s running game right away.
Lions Draft Prospect: Cam Robinson – Alabama
Position: Offensive Tackle
Projected: 1st-round
Size: 6-foot-6, 325 lbs
Analysis: Cam Robinson has the size and college pedigree to blossom into a starting NFL tackle. Like several previous Alabama offensive lineman, he’s proven in the run game, but there are questions about his ability to pass protect. He’s got outstanding strength and toughness that will translate, but his technique isn’t quite polished. Robinson is fairly athletic in his ability to get to the second level, just not exactly top-five pick material as an overall prospect coming out of college.
The issue is that Alabama doesn’t ask their lineman to pass block for extended periods of time. Nick Saban likes to keep things simple in his offensive approach, but does that mean Robinson can’t adapt? Not necessarily. With a good motor and an ability to finish blocks, he could eventually improve his footwork and technique with NFL coaching. I think prior to the draft, scouts are still trying to determine if he is a starting left tackle, or better suited playing on the right side in the pros. He was a very good player the past two seasons during Alabama’s near back-to-back championship run. Few offensive linemen in this draft possess the level of experience against top-level competition that Robinson does.
Why he makes sense for the Lions: For those who don’t read my stuff on a regular basis, I’m a firm believer in the way the Cowboys committed to investing significantly in their offensive line. The Lions have already invested quite a bit up front. I am fully aware of that. However, they can’t worry about what did or didn’t work in the past. Bob Quinn has been Detroit’s general manager for one year and shown an ability to effectively draft offensive linemen. Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow both look like home runs.
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Detroit has big free agent decisions to make on right tackle Riley Reiff and guard Larry Warford. They may have no choice but to draft replacements if the price tag for either player is too steep. The Lions MUST be able to run the ball more effectively than they have the past few seasons. It’s true that they were hurt by injuries to key guys up front, but that doesn’t mean everything was fine when those players were healthy.
In my opinion, Reiff is more likely to end up somewhere else – seeing that Warford has been the better player for the majority of their time in Detroit. Although, Reiff made strides in 2016, plus he did not complain when being moved to the right side.
Good offensive linemen are hard to find, though, so I think somebody will pay Riley Reiff more than he could be worth. In that case, Robinson would make a good deal of sense for Detroit.
Why he doesn’t make sense for the Lions: As I mentioned earlier, Robinson played left tackle at Alabama and while most consider right tackle less difficult, not everyone makes the transition. He could be a fantastic right tackle, there ‘s just no guarantee he’d be an upgrade over Reiff. And if Reiff stays, Robinson really wouldn’t make sense for the Lions.
Another reason he might not be a great fit is that the Lions are a pass-first team. Robinson may certainly help change that but with Matthew Stafford around, Detroit will rely on his arm before anything else. And there’s a good chance Cam Robinson won’t make it past the middle of the first-round to be available at 21. If he is there, however, I believe the Lions should pull the trigger and solidify this line for years to come. Stay tuned for more draft profiles!
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