Like many of their counterparts, the Dallas Cowboys are highly intrigued by Kenny Robinson.
Robinson’s backstory is fascinating. A versatile defensive back at West Virginia, he was made a fifth-round pick of the 2020 XFL Draft, selected by the St. Louis BattleHawks. Despite maintaining NFL draft eligibility, he took his talents to Vince McMahon’s start-up in order to support his ailing mother, who’d been diagnosed with cancer.
The XFL folded due to the coronavirus pandemic, putting Robinson out of work. However, he’s the only member of the defunct league to possess aforementioned eligibility, and the 21-year-old, based on his percolating market, is now a lock to break into the pros.
According to The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid, Robinson has drawn interest from several NFL clubs, holding virtual interviews with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Miami Dolphins, “among others,” per Reid.
Robinson was a two-season contributor for the Mountaineers from 2017-18, totaling 84 solo tackles, seven interceptions, seven pass deflections, and two defensive touchdowns. His playmaking tendencies transferred over to the XFL, where he recorded 21 tackles and two picks across five starts.
At 6-foot-1, 210 pounds, Robinson boasts the height-weight combination to succeed at the next level. He’s an athletic, ball-hawking safety who can double as a cornerback and displays a willingness to hit opposing runners and pass-catchers. Because no player is perfect, he must sharpen his instincts and improve the angles he takes in coverage, but Robinson is a ready-made contributor for a defensive-needy team.
Draft prognosticators consider him a Day 3 talent, though Reid believes Robinson might be chosen as early as the third round thanks to “a lack of true centerfield safeties” in this class.
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Potential Fit with Cowboys
Suffice it to say, Dallas is on the hunt for safety help despite signing former Packers star Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in free agency. The club requires depth after losing starter Jeff Heath to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Robinson would aid a secondary that notched just five interceptions last season. He’d likely be stationed behind Clinton-Dix and incumbent Xavier Woods, competing with Darian Thompson and Donovan Wilson for playing time.
The Cowboys own seven total draft picks, including two fifth-rounders. They’ve been linked to blue-chip safeties (Grant Delpit, Xavier McKinney) and potential sleepers (Shyheim Carter, Jordan Fuller) alike, and they appear destined to fortify the position at some point during the three-day offseason spectacle.
If their interest is legitimate, Robinson could hear his name called anywhere from No. 82 overall to No. 179 overall — slots that currently belong to Dallas.
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Cowboys Tied to ‘Very Hot’ Draft-Eligible Former XFL Standout: Report