It’s just one play during a May OTA session, a far cry from what things will look like September 10th when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the San Francisco 49ers in the season opener. But Mark Robinson will have made at least one impact play during spring workouts. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo, Robinson pick-sixed QB Kenny Pickett during today’s practice.
“It was a ball-aware play,” Robinson said via Fittipaldo. “It came to me, and I took advantage of the opportunity.”
The team’s seventh-round draft pick last season, Robinson spent one year as a college linebacker at Ole Miss after converting from running back. A physical, downhill player, coverage was one of his big concerns entering the draft, whether or not he had enough athleticism in space while learning the nuances of complicated NFL coverages.
While Robinson will never be a top-end coverage linebacker, he showed better-than-expected coverage ability in training camp last summer, though in-stadium action was a different story. In our camp recap, we wrote:
“In coverage, Robinson is competitive at the catch point and knows how to finish, though his success inside stadiums were a different story. When targeted, Robinson allowed five catches on six targets for 56 yards and a touchdown.”
Robinson struggled to earn a hat on gameday for most of the season but saw action late in the year. Pittsburgh deployed him in run-specific defensive packages against big personnel teams like the Carolina Panthers and Baltimore Ravens. Robinson played well, the moment not too big for him, and he finished his rookie year with nine tackles on 44 total defensive snaps.
Pittsburgh completely turned over its inside linebacker room this offseason with Robinson the only returning player who was on last year’s 53-man roster. Replacing the rest of the room include veterans Cole Holcomb, Elandon Roberts, and Tanner Muse.
As has already been reported but noted and confirmed by Fittipaldo, Holcomb is only participating in individual sessions, not team, while he works his way back from 2022 foot surgery. That’s allowed Robinson to soak up first-team reps and make these kinds of plays in practice.
Holcomb will be the Steelers’ starter in 2023 and presumably their every down inside linebacker. But the spot opposite him is open. Roberts, who signed to a two-year deal this offseason, may be the favorite but offers a similar skill set to Robinson. If Robinson can take a second-year leap, he might pass Roberts on the depth chart, especially if he carries plays like these over into the summer.
