Syracuse Football: Alton Robinson has a long future in the NFL

Former Syracuse football star Alton Robinson will continue his career with the Seattle Seahawks. We have the details on how he fits in.

Last season Seattle struggled at times on the defensive side of the ball, specifically rushing the passer. In the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seahawks looked to remedy that issue by selecting two defensive ends and one linebacker. In this year’s draft haul, the squad added former Syracuse football star, Alton Robinson.

Last year Seattle was bottom ten in sacks per game, and their sack leader only brought down the quarterback four times. Rasheem Green led the team in that category while Quinton Jefferson was just behind in second. The big conversation for Seattle is whether or not they can bring back Jadeveon Clowney. The two sides cannot seem to agree on a contract, but either way, the team is still lacking pass rushers. And that is where Robinson can step in.

Already head coach Pete Carroll has expressed his excitement to have Robinson join the team. Leading up to the draft, Robinson made sure he was prepared and worked out with former Seahawk defensive end Cliff Avril once or twice a week, as seen on Syracuse.com.

Getting direction from an experienced pass rusher like Avril is invaluable and a smart decision from Robinson. When looking at Robinson’s game, there are some similarities between him and Avril, and he should continue to strive to play like him.

However, making it in the NFL is no easy prospect, but Robinson fell into a good situation. Being selected by Seattle makes all the difference in kick-starting his career. His team is not in rebuilding mode, but instead, they will continue to compete. That said, they are short on players in his position so he could get early playing time. So he has the unique opportunity to play for a competitive team early in his career after being a fifth-round draft pick.

While there are some concerns about his game like his length, he will need to develop over time. But if he can work hard for the Seahawks, then he could last a long time with Seattle, and if not, then his talent will be needed somewhere around the league.

Early on, it should be expected that Robinson’s production and playing time will be limited. Even though the team struggled last season to rush the QB, there are still a number of players in front of Robinson on the depth chart. To start out, look for the former Syracuse pass-rusher to appear on obvious passing situations or third downs.

Any play where he can blitz the quarterback with little consequence will be where he is utilized early on. His pass rush moves are his biggest strength while defending the rush is where things get dicey. But in the beginning, he needs to earn his playing time and develop into a complete player.

In the end, Seattle will be a good fit for Robinson. He fills a hole that they desperately need help with. And if he can develop into a three-down lineman, then he could last in this league for a very long time.