San Francisco 49ers

Is Rookie Rashard Robinson Emerging as a Shutdown Cornerback?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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San Francisco 49ers rookie cornerback Rashard Robinson wasn’t necessarily a highly touted pick coming out of the 2016 NFL Draft. But two games into the season, Robinson might be showcasing shutdown talent for the Niners defense.

Cornerback Rashard Robinson wasn’t one of those sexy picks standing out during the NFL Draft when the San Francisco 49ers selected him 133rd overall in 2016.

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Robinson had a checkered collegiate past. LSU head coach Les Miles suspended him indefinitely after numerous violations of team rules. He played in just 18 total games in college and missed all of 2015.

Still, the Niners were intrigued by what CBS Sports’ Rob Rang called, “the combination of size, athleticism and experience in a pro-style defense to earn significant draft consideration.”

At 6-foot-1, Robinson is the second-tallest cornerback on San Francisco’s roster. A bit undersized, he at least possesses the press-man coverage skills and physicality, despite being only 171 pounds.

And it’s possible he’s emerging as the next 49ers shutdown cornerback.

True, only two games have passed his rookie season. But according to Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus, Robinson has yet to be targeted.

Watching film from the first two weeks, it’s hard to see any point where Robinson is completely out of position.

True, this small sample size doesn’t immediately lead us to believe he’ll be an elite coverage defensive back. And teams may start taking advantage of his slim frame.

Kind of how his hit on Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, of which Robinson got the worst, came to be.

The Prospectus

Checkered pasts and size issues aside, Robinson does have some likable traits at the NFL level.

49ers defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley pointed this out too.

“What you love about him is, you like corners who have that dog in them, that confidence in him. He’s got that,” Hafley said, via the team’s website. “He’s competitive, and you’ve got to have that in you.”

I was talking with my father-in-law the other night (an avid 49ers fan whose opinion I trust), and we brought up Robinson quite a bit. Both of us have been impressed with what we saw in the preseason and, up to that point, one week of regular-season action.

But don’t just hang a hat on our take.

One corner whom Robinson is compared to the most is Dontae Johnson — San Francisco’s tallest cornerback (6-foot-2).

Robinson has already passed over Johnson on the depth chart, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. It seems as if the coaching staff feels the same way we did.

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Again, we have to temper our expectations just a little bit. Two games’ worth of NFL action won’t tell us everything we need to know about Robinson’s abilities.

But teams haven’t targeted him for a reason. And that’s what shutdown corners do — take an offensive receiver out of the game plan.

If Robinson can keep this up, the Niners may easily have someone very special on their hands.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of ESPN.com, Pro-Football-Reference.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

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