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The draft party at the Robinson clan might have been waiting a little longer than they'd expected, but Friday night, they saw Allen Robinson's NFL aspirations become a reality. After ten receivers had their name called by Roger Goodell--and the parade of distinguished pro alums--Robinson finally heard his, with the 29th pick of the second round.
Jacksonville isn't necessarily the most glamorous of possible landing spots, especially for a guy being clamored for by fans of just about every NFL team. But at least he'll be surrounded by former Nittany Lions--in addition to Paul Posluszny, the Jaguars have Robinson's past- and future-teammates Matt Stankiewitch and Nate Stupar on the roster.
And more importantly, the Jags valued A-Rob enough to trade up for him despite having already taken another receiver--Marqise Lee, from USC--earlier in the second round. They must see an opportunity, to build around two of the best pass-catchers in the draft, two superb athletes who had highly productive college careers, who both could've been selected much earlier. With stud wideout Justin Blackmon potentially out for the entire season, Robinson has a great chance to join Lee in the starting lineup from day one.
They'll likely be hauling in passes from another rookie, the number three overall pick Blake Bortles. The two best players from Penn State's early-season matchup with UCF now find themselves teammates. We know how good Robinson is, and it's not unlikely that a few seasons from now, 31 other teams will be kicking themselves for letting him slip so far.
Robinson hauled in 174 catches in his two years as a starter, with 4.5 speed and dominant leaping ability in a 6'2, 220-pound frame. He was widely predicted as a 2nd-round pick, around the 8th or 9th-best wideout in a draft class stacked with great ones. He'll make his new team very happy, very soon. Here was NFL.com's scouting report on a player we came to know so well:
Robinson is a big, fluid, outside receiver with a nice combination of "above-the-rim" prowess and run-after-catch ability. Offers possession skills, playmaking ability and red-zone utility to develop into a solid No. 2 option.
Dear Jacksonville fans: here's what you need to know.
From all of us at BSD, congratulations, Allen, and best of luck to DaQuan Jones, John Urschel, Glenn Carson, and the rest of the ex-Nittany Lions hoping to hear their names called this weekend.