With the 35th pick in the fourth round (133rd overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers select LSU CB Rashard Robinson. He is the team's second cornerback selected in this draft. They used their third round selection on Mississippi State CB Will Redmond.
In two years with LSU, he played in 15 games compiling 30 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, an interception, and three passes defended. He was suspended at LSU for failing a drug test as well as academic issues. He has not played football in 18 months.
NFL.com projected that Robinson would be selected in rounds 6 or 7 of the NFL Draft.
He might look like he skipped "leg day" for several years, but his height, speed and man-cover talent is undeniable. Robinson has the traits and talent to be considered one of the best press corners in this draft, but teams will have to weigh the character against the talent. Look for an electric combine which could create new buzz around the former LSU Tiger. Robinson has the raw ability to become a good NFL starter who can play on an island if asked, but I am downgrading his draft grade due to his character concerns.
DraftInsider.net had the following to say about Robinson in their scouting report:
Robinson displayed flashes of dominance the short time he played at LSU and comes with incredible upside. Likely to be drafted much earlier than people think, he could develop into a starter if he keeps his focus on the field, makes football a priority and matures as a person.
Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus had the following to say about Robinson in his CB ranking:
The hype machine on Robinson lost the run of itself when disinformation was put around that he would run a 4.2 40-yard dash time at 6-foot-3 at the combine. In the end he measured at 6-foot-1 and ran a 4.43, which is good but unspectacular. He does have speed to burn, and showed some incredible make-up speed when beat, but was beaten enough that he needed it. Robinson is very raw and inconsistent with his technique, getting too high and losing his balance and footing, but there are few better athletes and measurables profiles in this draft class.
Measurables
Height: 6-1
Weight: 171 lbs.
Arm length: 32 1/4 inches
Hand length: 9 inches
49ers Notebook: Javon Hargrave's first 49ers thoughts; Trent Williams' weird late-night workout schedule; Wilks on DBs; Deommodore Lenoir wants to be elite
By Kirk Larrabee
12 hrs
The 49ers ended their offseason workout program on Wednesday with their final session of mandatory minicamp. But before they made their way out the door for the summer, the team gave fans and reporters one last dose of info in the form of the final media sessions of the spring.
Among those speaking to reporters on Wednesday were defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, left tackle Trent Williams and cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, as well as defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Each session produced some interesting tidbits, which we'll review in this version of 49ers notebook.
Hargrave speaks
Despite being the splash free agent addition of the offseason for the 49ers, Javon Hargrave had not met with the team's beat reporters in person before Wednesday.
As the sun rose over the horizon, fans of the San Francisco 49ers came from all over, with great anticipation, as General Manager, John Lynch, slowly trudged his way upon the hill, disappearing into the fog for just a moment, and reappearing with Kyle Shanahan, to proclaim Brock Purdy the heir to the 49ers' QB throne. (Cue the "Circle of Life" track!)
Alright, so it wasn't exactly like that. But the 49ers' brass has made it a point this offseason to ensure everyone knows Purdy is the team's starting quarterback, once he's healthy. And while it may have lacked the drama of a scene from The Lion King, the declaration was just as impactful. (You know, if we could have had Lynch look out over the kingdom, and then hold young Purdy up in front of the team's cheering
Christian McCaffrey calls Kyle Shanahan's 49ers scheme the "most sustainable" in the NFL
By David Bonilla
May 29
You've heard stories about San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan installing a play and breaking down exactly how he expects the defense to react. Then, when the players execute the play, everything occurs as the coach explained, as if he had a crystal ball to predict the outcome.
Shanahan is a confident play-caller, emphasizing execution by his players to ensure everything goes as planned. The 49ers acquired a big-time playmaker last season, trading for star running back Christian McCaffrey, who had already established himself as one of the most versatile players in the league.
Even McCaffrey marvels at the things his play-caller comes up
49ers expect Brock Purdy to begin throwing this week
By David Bonilla
May 30
The San Francisco 49ers expect their second-year quarterback, Brock Purdy, to start throwing again this week. Purdy underwent surgery on March 10 to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury sustained on January 29 in the NFC Championship Game. The expectations were always for the quarterback to start throwing again in early June.
Purdy won't be doing anything excessive at first. He will likely be limited as this portion of his rehabilitation begins, and his workload will ramp up in the coming months.
Purdy's return timeline remains up in the air. However, the team will know more once he starts throwing again. Head