2023 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Florida State DB Jammie Robinson

From now until the 2023 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, I’ll be profiling Florida State DB Jammie Robinson.

#10 Jammie Robinson, DB, Florida State (R-Junior) –5105, 191lb

Senior Bowl/Combine Invite

Measurements

The Good

— Has the versatility to play free safety, strong safety, in the box, and in the nickel
— Plays with urgency as a defender in run support as well as in coverage
— Comes downhill quickly in run support to make the tackle
— Runs relentlessly to the football in pursuit
— Can be a smooth mover as he runs to the ball in the open field
— Closes ground quickly to the ball, showing good burst and acceleration
— Fills the alley well as a run defender
— Looks to impose his will as a hitter, coming in full-speed and violently taking ballcarriers to the ground
— Effective blitzer off the edge to track down runners in the backfield or pressure the QB
— Can carry receivers up the seam in the slot and match up with tight ends
— Will contest passes in man coverage, laying out to extend and deflect passes in front of the intended target
— High character defender that was the energizer bunny of the FSU defense

The Bad

— Lacks ideal arm length, size, and weight for the position
— Long speed is suspect in coverage as well as catching speedsters in the open field
— Tackling consistency can improve as he will go high and shoulder/arm tackle
— Angles of pursuit to the football can be better as he tends to overrun plays
— Can fight through blocks near the LOS, but size and short arms make it difficult to win when the blocker has his hands on him
— Can be a bit mechanical at the top of routes in coverage, taking more of a hop step than filling his hips
— Reaction time is a tad delayed when matched up in man coverage while receivers break out of their routes
— Size and arm length makes contesting passes against bigger receivers more of a challenge even when in good position

Bio

— Redshirt Junior Prospect from Cordele, GA
— Born January 24, 2001 (age 22)
— Rated as four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN
— 2018 Florida Defensive Player of the Year, led Lee County to 15-0 record and 6A state championship
— Committed to South Carolina out of high school
— Appeared in 22 games with 13 starts in two seasons at South Carolina and recorded 136 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, two interceptions, eight PBUs, and one forced fumble
— Appeared in all 12 games in 2021 with 11 starts 85 tackles, seven TFLs, four interceptions, three PBUs, and two forced fumbles
— Started all 13 games in 2022 and recorded 99 tackles, five TFLs, one sack, one interception, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery
— FSU Defensive MVP (2022), second-team All-American (2022), first-team All-ACC (2022), first-team All-ACC (2021), second-team Freshman All-America (2019) Freshman, All-SEC (2019)
— Don Powell Award, Seminole Scholar

Tape Breakdown

Jammie Robinson started out his college career at South Carolina where he earned All-America and All-SEC honors as a true freshman before deciding to transfer to Florida State for his final two years. Robinson become an instant contributor with the Seminoles, being named an all-ACC selection in back-to-back seasons.

When you watch Robinson on tape, you see a no-nonsense, urgent defender that flies around the football field. He comes downhill in a hurry to stop the run from the backend as you can see in this first clip at the Senior Bowl, meeting the runner near the line to gain for a big collision. The second clip shows Robinson doing the same thing against NC State, closing ground quickly as he breaks down to tackle the runner on second and long.

When it comes to running sideline to sideline, Robinson runs to the football with a reckless abandonment. Watch this first clip of Robinson running toward the sideline against Clemson from centerfield, cutting off the runner as he cuts him down out of bounds. In the second clip, we see Robinson work through a block as he comes down from the safety spot to cut off the runner from getting the edge, dishing out the big hit to stop him for minimal gain.

Robinson is effective when asked to play near the LOS and come on blitzes off the edge like on this tackle near the goal line against Louisiana, wrapping up the runner in the backfield for a loss on the play.

Robinson plays with a swagger and an attitude on the football field, looking to get a suplex tackle or big hit on his opponent. Watch this play he makes against Miami where he wraps up the QB in the backfield, yanks him backward, then proceeds to chuck him down to the ground.

While the ball production wasn’t there this past season, Robinson had four INTs in 2021, showing a knack for identifying the football in the air and literally throwing himself into the mix to make a play for the ball. Here is a great example against Miami where Robinson breaks on the underneath pass and meets the receiver as the ball arrives, wrestling it away from the intended target for the turnover.

Robinson is a versatile chess piece, having played all over the defensive backfield in college. He has played in the slot as the nickel defender on numerous occasions, showing the ability to match up with slot WRs or TEs running up the seam like we see on this clip where he carries the receiver vertically up the field.

Still, Jammie Robinson has his limitations as a defender that need to be recognized. He lacks ideal length, size, and height for the position, losing out in coverage to bigger receivers at times even when he is in great position. He also appears to be a tad stiff in his transition and hip fluidity, often resorting to more of a hop step than flipping is hips in coverage. Here are a couple of receptions that Robinson allows where he is slow to react on the first clip over the middle on the slant and resorts to more of a side shuffle than a backpedal in the second clip, losing a step on the out route where the receiver makes the catch.

Robinson also isn’t the fastest athlete in the open field, lacking great long speed (4.59) to track down speeders if he doesn’t have great positioning. Watch this clip of the Clemson RB pulling away from Robinson who was in position as the runner got into the second level but was unable to cut him off as he accelerates in the open field.

Conclusion

Overall, Jammie Robinson is a versatile, seasoned defensive back that best projects as a strong safety that can play near the box or in split zone while mixing it up in the slot as a nickel defender. His physical limitations will get him picked on by opposing offenses on occasion when in pass coverage if he doesn’t show improved transitions on a consistent basis. Still, Robinson is a competitor in every sense of the word and plays with a certain tenacity that you love to see in a defensive back, whether it be in pass coverage or run defense.

While Robinson’s film and play style reminds me a bit of Budda Baker, a more realistic pro comp for Robinson is Baker’s teammate: Arizona Cardinals S Jalen Thompson. Thompson starred at Washington State and was picked in the fifth round of the Supplemental Draft. He recently cashed in on a lucrative extension and showcases plenty of the same characteristics Robinson has in a similar body (5’11, 190lb). He flies to the football in run defense and mixes it up in pass coverage, being able to play multiple spots as he matches up with slot receivers or TEs in man coverage while driving on the football when sitting in zone.

I foresee Robinson appealing to teams who are looking for a chess piece that can play at safety and in the nickel at the next level. That team could be the Steelers who have S Damontae Kazee scheduled to hit free agency. Robinson could get some run at safety, regardless of if Terrell Edmunds re-signs or not, and play in the slot in a heavy nickel package, giving Pittsburgh a defensive back that seeks out contact in a similar fashion to former nickel defender Mike Hilton. He should be able to see the field early on and has the traits to become a starter within his first couple of seasons.

Projection: Day Two/Early Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 7.8 – Potential Starter/ Good Backup (3rd Round)
Games Watched: vs Clemson (2022), at Miami (2022), vs NC State (2021), vs Miami (2021)