Rookie Spotlight: Wan’Dale Robinson, Kentucky (photo via Kentucky Ahletics)
Height: 5-8
Weight: 178
Hands: 9″
Arm: 27 5/8″
40 yard dash: 4.44
NFL Comparison: Curtis Samuel, Demetric Felton

College Production (Final Season)
43% team receptions
45% team receiving yards
29% team receiving TDs

Breakout Age: 18

Pros
Extremely elusive in traffic and the open field
Shifty and sudden out of breaks; cuts on an absolute dime
Can win vertically on contested catches
Excellent route runner
Quick first step
Produced against elite competition
Creates separation with ease
Hard to bring down, can take a hit
Killer instinct
Broke out at a young age

Cons
Takes a lot of punishment
Limited catch radius
Undersized
Lacks elite top tier speed

Scouting Notes:
I consider Robinson to be an athlete more than a wide receiver – Just watch some of his tape to see what I mean. Robinson lines up like a receiver. He runs routes like a receiver, a really sound one at that, as his route tree is comprehensive and he has a blazing first step. But as soon as he gets the ball in his hands, often out of the backfield, Robinson turns into a running back. Compact at 5’11’’, 185 lbs (although it’s unlikely he shows up at the combine at that size) Robinson is stout and solidly built. On first look, I had to go back and check that he was actually a receiver, as so much of his tape was him catching passes at the line or out of the backfield, then scooting up the field. Per Sports Info Solutions, Robinson did indeed lead this WR class in reception-frequency at or behind the line of scrimmage at nearly 34%. Robinson looks like a running back in space as well, hurtling forward through contact or deciding last minute to pivot and spin out of the way or juke to either side of his defender. The key is Robinson’s hips. They stay low and on a swivel, so changes of direction are smooth and immediate. Robinson isn’t only skillful at lateral movement though. He’s got leaps to spare, and they’re often displayed on his contested catches as he high points the ball over his defenders with regularity. This is a plus because he doesn’t have the widest catch radius and needs to jump to bring a lot of balls in. Robinson doesn’t possess elite speed, but he gets to top speed quickly, and his agility does the rest. He can take a hit too, which is good and bad, as you want a tough player who can play through pain and is willing to block, but you don’t want your no.1 WR to take a lot of punishment on a consistent basis – It doesn’t bode well for longevity. All in all, Robinson has everything you want out of a primary pass-catcher, including a will to finish plays and dominate defenses. The biggest question at the next level will be if his lack of imposing size and lack of imposing speed will relegate him to a gadget/utility player.

Fantasy Outlook:
Robinson profiles to be a 2nd day pick who can fill gaps on any given offense. I would be more sheepish on drafting Robinson in dynasty if he hadn’t been productive against good secondaries, and it only helps that his best year was his final one – A lot of WRs peak in college in the sophomore or junior seasons. Robinson can do anything you ask of him on the field, and he’ll do it with aplomb. If he can dominate in the NFL like he did his senior year at Kentucky, Robinson can be a no.1 WR in the NFL. Teams will want to play him out of the slot, but I think he can play outside just as well. With the success of WR’s who can run the ball, a la Deebo Samuel, Robinson can carve out a productive role in fantasy and otherwise on an open minded team. If I squint, he looks like Kareem Hunt with the ball in his hands, careening off of tacklers or squirting around them. He makes for an excellent dynasty bet, as he’s as versatile as they come and should find the field quickly. He’s an exciting player to take a chance on in the second round of early traditional 1QB rookie drafts.