With Pittsburgh Steelers LB Cole Holcomb suffering a season-ending injury, the team’s three-man linebacker rotation is down to two, with Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts set to start. Behind them is second-year LB Mark Robinson, who has only played four defensive snaps this season, all coming in Week Three against the Las Vegas Raiders. But former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Ike Taylor thinks Robinson’s energy can provide a boost for Pittsburgh’s defense, and compared him to RB Jaylen Warren, another high-energy guy who isn’t afraid to stick his face in the fan.
“He’s another energy, electric, for me, he’s the Jaylen Warren on the defensive side when it comes down to the energy part. When I look at him, that’s what I think,” Taylor said on the Bleav In Steelers podcast.
It’s an apt comparison, given that Robinson was actually a former running back who converted to linebacker his senior year at Ole Miss. Like Robinson, Warren isn’t afraid of contact, actively seeking it out in pass protection and despite not being the biggest guy, he’s a physical runner who provides a lot of energy to Pittsburgh’s offense when he’s in the game.
Robinson’s performance as a linebacker at Ole Miss was good enough to get him drafted by the Steelers in the seventh round in the 2022 NFL Draft. He didn’t see the field much during his rookie season either, playing just 44 defensive snaps, but they came late in the season with Pittsburgh in the midst of a playoff push. Robinson had a season-high 26 snaps in a must-win Week 17 game over the Baltimore Ravens, registering two solo tackles, so he’s experienced enough when it comes to playing in big games and big moments.
While the team has brought him along slowly as he looks to become more of a well-rounded player and not just a downhill thumper, they might be forced to get Robinson some legitimate playing time as it’s going to be hard for Roberts and Alexander to play every snap going forward. The Steelers do also have veteran LB Mykal Walker on the practice squad, and he’s always an option for an elevation or to be signed to the active roster if the team feels like he could be a good depth option or a more useful player right now than Robinson.
But the energy component that Robinson brings is real. His ability to make a big hit and the way he helped hold down the fort in a bad inside linebacker room last season has made him a guy that fans seem to really like, and he’s drawn comparisons to former Steelers LB Vince Williams, including from Williams himself. So if Robinson does play, it’ll be fun to watch and not only see what improvements he might have made from last season, but also the energy that he can bring to Pittsburgh’s defense.
You can watch the full Bleav In Steelers podcast below:
