National Football League

Seahawks Draft Target: Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:36 p.m. ET

Fansided, Keith Myers/FanSided via 12th Man Rising

If the Seattle Seahawks draft an offensive tackle in the first round, we should all hope that they pass on Cam Robinson out of Alabama.

If there was ever a guy who “looks the part” of an offensive tackle, it would be Cam Robinson out of Alabama. His frame, bulk and overall proportions are exactly what NFL teams look for.

Robinson huge, strong and flashes dominance as a run blocker. It isn’t uncommon to see him driving a defensive end backwards into a linebacker.

The problems arise in pass protection. Robinson has poor natural balance, leading him to adopt a very wide stance. He changes direction at a geologic pace. That didn’t cause problems very often against college defenders, but NFL pass rushers will eat him alive.

His lack of agility shows up whenever he’s asked to block a defender at the 2nd level. He’ll often lumber forward, only to watch the linebacker simply run right around him.

Basically, Robinson is a prototypical Tom Cable mistake. He is Germain Ifedi on the left side instead of the right.

The Seahawks should avoid Robinson at all cost. He belongs in a pure power scheme where he is only responsible for blocking the guy directly in front of him. Drafting him into a zone scheme would be a disaster.

On top of that, Robinson is a better fit as a guard than as a tackle. With Britt ending up at center and Ifedi at guard, The Seahawks cannot afford to use another top pick on a failed tackle that will end up on the inside.

Of course, that is before we get to Robinson’s off field issues. This paragraphs from Rob Rang on CBS Sports pretty much says “buyer beware” in no uncertain terms:

The biggest concern with Robinson, in fact, could be off-field issues, including a troubling arrest prior to the 2016 season on weapons and drug charges that could make his performance during interviews at the Combine critical to his final grade.

If the Seahawks take an offensive tackle in the first round, they would be better off looking at Garett Bolles from Utah instead.