After struggling to get going during the preseason, Minnesota Vikings rookie defensive end Janarius Robinson was placed on the injured reserve list on Monday.
Robinson’s designation was among a slew of roster moves that day, including the re-signing of veteran defensive end Everson Griffen and former Atlanta Falcons running back Ito Smith.
Robinson cannot be activated from the injured reserve list this season because he was placed on the list ahead of naming the final 53-man roster on Aug. 31.
It’s a tough break for the Florida State product deemed the next long-term project of defensive line guru Andre Patterson.
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Built Like Danielle Hunter
Danielle Hunter and Janarius Robinson bear similar resemblance as raw, mid-round prospects with all the physical traits of premier edge rushers.
Hunter, drafted in the third round in 2015, was a modest prospect in college — tallying 4.5 sacks in 23 starts at LSU. Hunter has since become one of the league’s top-end pass-rushers as the youngest player to reach 50 sacks in his career — thanks to the tutelage of Patterson.
Star Tribune reporter Ben Goessling noticed Robinson early in rookie minicamps and penned the fourth-round rookie as Patterson’s next big project.
“4th-round pick Janarius Robinson looks awfully impressive,” Goessling tweeted back in May. “Built like Danielle Hunter, but with even longer arms. He’s Andre Patterson’s next big project.”
Robinson, like Hunter, wasn’t an effective college player, tallying six sacks in his final two seasons with the Seminoles due to being moved to both defensive end and linebacker at Florida State. Patterson has expressed his eagerness to help Robinson refine his game.
“(Robinson’s) fast. He’s long. He’s powerful. He’s athletic. He’s got all of the traits and tools that you look for in a defensive end. At Florida State, I think he went through three head coaches. He went through four coordinators. He went through three defensive line coaches. They kept changing him from an outside linebacker to a defensive end. So it’s hard for you to grow with all that constant change,” Patterson said. “He’s got all the athletic traits that you look for… I always find that guy in the draft where I say, ‘man, I’d love to get my hands on this kid,’ and he’s the guy.”
Here’s Robinson’s spider chart with his testing percentiles compared to the 2021 edge rusher draft class, along with a comparison of his metric to Hunter.
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#Vikings rookie @JanariusD1‘s measurables are OFF THE CHARTS💪😈 #skol
| Measurable | Danielle Hunter (2015) | Janarius Robinson (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6′ 5″ (78%) | 6′ 5⅜” (87%) |
| Weight | 252 lbs (14%) | 266 lbs (47%) |
| Arm Length | 34¼” (75%) | 35¼” (93%) |
| Hand Size | 10½” (90%) | 10⅞” (95%) |
| 10 Yard Split | 1.58s (91%) | 1.64s (53%) |
| 40 Yard Dash | 4.57s (96%) | 4.69s (82%) |
| Vertical Jump | 36½” (84%) | 34″ (62%) |
| Broad Jump | 130″ (98%) | 121″ (82%) |
| 3-Cone Drill | 6.95s (89%) | 7.31s (36%) |
| 20 Yard Shuttle | 4.47s (35%) | 4.46s (40%) |
| Bench Press | 25 reps (64%) | 25 reps (64%) |
Starting End Opposite of Hunter Emerges
This offseason, one of the biggest training camp battles has been between veteran Stephen Weatherly and second-year defensive end D.J. Wonnum.
SKOR North’s Judd Zulgad declared Wonnum the frontrunner after the Vikings held scrimmages on Tuesday.
Vikings scrimmaged today with first-team offense going against first-team defense and 2s vs 2s. It’s clear D.J. Wonnum is winning or has won the RDE job over Stephen Weatherly. Danielle Hunter looked fantastic and my concerns about his neck surgery are disappearing. 1/3
Griffen’s arrival shouldn’t diminish Wonnum’s role in the defense. Coach Mike Zimmer said he plans to use Griffen in a rotational role to begin the season — a necessary measure given the excitement Patterson has with reuniting with Griffen.
“I’m trying to keep it tempered right now,” Patterson said in a Wednesday press conference. “I can’t let my mind go – like I said, he’s my binky, right? – and I can’t let my mind go there. I’ve got to be realistic and evaluate him just like I would a rookie or free agent coming in here. I can’t let my personal feelings for him take over. If I do that, I’m doing the organization a disservice.”
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Vikings Lose Uber-Athletic Pass-Rusher for Entire 2021 Season