From now until the 2023 NFL Draft, we will 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, a scouting report on Texas A&M OG Layden Robinson.
#64 LAYDEN ROBINSON, OG, TEXAS A&M – (R-SENIOR) 6034, 302 POUNDS
SENIOR BOWL INVITE
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Layden Robinson | 6032, 302 | 10 1/2″ | 34 5/8″ | N/A |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 9’3″ | 26.5″ | N/A |
THE GOOD
— Has a thick build with good mass for the position
— Dropped weight since coming into school to help his mobility
— Possesses long arms and large hands to extend defenders and latch on
— Runs through blocks on contact to create a good initial push
— Works to displace defenders away from the ball carrier with good leg drive and effort
— Does a great job on down blocks to clear the defender out of the way
— Can pull across the line of scrimmage as well as get out in space
— Does a good job using his arm length and feet to mirror in pass protection
— Does a good job passing off twists and stunts with the tackle or center
— Can jolt defenders back with his strong punch
— Play got more consistent from 2022 to 2023
THE BAD
— Plays way too high on many snaps, leading to a lack of sustaining blocks
— Doesn’t possess the nimble footwork to adjust to defenders in the open field
— Will lunge head-first into blocks, leading to whiffs
— Hands can get outside the defender’s frame, allowing them to disengage quickly
— Needs to do a better job hand-fighting pass rushers who knock down his arms
— Plays with his pads over his toes, leading to balance issues
— Footwork in pass protection can be cleaned up to prevent rushers from getting outside of him
BIO
— Redshirt Senior prospect from Manvel, TX
— Born May 3, 2001
— Four-star recruit according to Rivals
— Voted to the high school All-Star Game three times
— Volunteered for the Brazos Valley community serving meals, cleaning up trash, and helping mop floors and clean flower beds
— Saw limited playing time as a true freshman in 2019 and redshirted
— Played in all ten games in 2020, logging 32 snaps at right guard
— Started all ten games that he appeared in 2021 at right guard
— Started all 12 games at right guard in 2022
— Started all 12 games at right guard in 2023
— 2x Second-team All-SEC (2021, 2023), two-time Toughness Award and the Strength & Conditioning Offensive Aggie Award winner (2021-22), Freshman Strength Award (2019)
TAPE BREAKDOWN
Layden Robinson came to Texas A&M a highly-touted recruit and cracked the starting lineup in his third season with the Aggies, earning all-conference honors as a redshirt sophomore. Robinson was projected to be one of the top guard prospects a couple of years ago, having the size, length, and pedigree you look for in a quality starting NFL guard. He ended up staying five years at A&M, experiencing some ups and downs on the field as he enters the 2024 NFL Draft.
When you pop in the tape on Robinson, you see a blocker built to play at guard. He has the ideal size as well as the long arms and big hands to snatch defenders and run them off the ball, being a bully in the running game. Watch the clip below of Robinson down-blocking the nose tackle of Miami with the center, driving him off the ball, and creating a huge running lane. The runner exploits up the middle to finish in the end zone for the score.
Robinson is a good enough athlete to climb to the second level and make blocks on linebackers and safeties, having that hard-charging blocking style to overwhelm blockers at the point of attack. In the first clip below, we see Robinson climbing up to pick up the linebacker in the box, covering him up to allow the runner into the second level and into the secondary of the defense. In the second clip, we see Robinson’s brute force take the defensive lineman and knock him backward on contact, displacing him off the line of scrimmage to allow the back into the second level of the defense.
Robinson is also a capable puller from the guard spot. He has the athleticism to wrap around the line of scrimmage and kick out incoming defenders from the pocket. We see Robinson do this in the clip below against the Hurricanes, running into the defensive end and stopping him in his tracks to create a running lane the back exploits to get past the line of scrimmage.
Regarding pass protection, Robinson has the tools to be an effective player in this facet, possessing the vice grip hands and the long arms to keep pass rushers at bay. Watch the clips below of Robinson getting his hands into the defender’s shoulder pads and mirroring him with his feet in pass pro while also showing he can pick up twists and stunts upfront with the center in the second clip, extending his arms to not allow the pass rusher into his frame.
Still, Robinson struggles with his technique as a pass protector, often playing way too high and too far over his pads. He also must get more consistent at landing his punches, as he gets his hands knocked away by the defender in the clip below. He lets the pass rusher into the pocket almost immediately after the snap, resulting in his quarterback getting drilled and an incomplete pass.
While Robinson has improved his body composition over the years at A&M, he still lacks ideal footwork and quickness to adjust to making blocks in space. He can struggle to change directions quickly and get his fits on smaller defenders, like in the clip below, where the linebacker runs right around him as he gets in on the tackle of the running back catching the screen pass near the line of scrimmage.
CONCLUSION
Layden Robinson is a well-built blocker who has the tools to be a menace as a run blocker but needs more technical refinement to be a safe bet in pass protection. He needs to clean up his leverage issues as well as his hand placement to unlock his potential as a blocker, once being projected as a top 60 pick, before having technical issues continue to litter his tape. He may take time, but Robinson is a worthwhile stash on Day Three for a team that wants to work on tapping into his potential, having the size, length, and run-blocking prowess to become a quality starting guard in today’s game.
When coming up with a pro comparison for Robinson, John Simpson is a player that comes to mind as another talented yet raw guard coming out of Clemson who had the tools to be a dominant run blocker but lacked the consistency in pass protection and needed to develop. The Raiders drafted him in the fourth round back in 2020, and he has started 38 games in the last four seasons for the Raiders and Ravens, developing into a starting-caliber player, which Robinson also can do with more refinement.
Projection: Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.7 – Backup/Special Teamer (Fifth Round)
Games Watched: at Miami (2023), vs Miami (2022), Senior Bowl
