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The New York Giants drafted an intriguing playmaker in Wan’Dale Robinson earlier this month. The wide receiver out of Kentucky is only 5-foot-8 and 178 pounds, but in college he displayed blazing fast speed and game-breaking ability with the ball in his hands.
With the Giants, NFL Films analyst and senior producer Greg Cosell predicts Robinson will have a “Tyreek Hill” package. While Cosell tried to avoid drawing a direct comparison to the All-Pro wide receiver, he described the similarities between Hill and Robinson during a recent appearance on the Ross Tucker Podcast.
“Mike Kafka is now [the Giants] offensive coordinator,” Cosell said. “He came from the Chiefs. I think Robinson fits that mold of a player you can move around your offensive formation. He’s a motion player, he’s a jet sweep player, he’s a reverse player. Think of Tyreek Hill and how much he was in motion in the Chiefs offense.”
Hill, who is not that much bigger than Robinson at 5-foot-10 and 185 lbs., was the speediest playmaker in Kansas City’s offense under head coach Andy Reid. That speed is such a valuable asset that the Miami Dolphins traded five draft picks for Hill earlier this offseason.
Kafka worked under Reid with the Chiefs from 2017-2021, working his way up from offensive quality control coach to quarterbacks coach to passing game coordinator for Patrick Mahomes and company. He knows better than almost anyone how to deploy a player like Hill or Robinson.
If you want to see what Cosell sees and need a visual of Robinson’s fit in the Giants offense, Justin Penik of Talkin’ Giants has you covered with this split-screen video.
On the left is Robinson making a catch on a slot fade in college; on the right is Daniel Jones making that same throw to former Giants wide receiver Golden Tate for a touchdown in 2020.
How Robinson Was Used in College
Robinson was used in a lot of ways in college. In fact, he started his collegiate career as a running back at Nebraska before transferring to Kentucky and becoming a full-time wideout. Coming out of high school with the Class of 2019, he was ranked as the No. 1 All-Purpose Back in the country at 247Sports.
You can see a little bit of that running back/kick returner ability when Robinson gets the ball in space. Watch him catch this screen pass against Florida, then make a few quick moves and turn it into a 41-yard touchdown.
Robinson’s experience as a running back is a valuable wrinkle to his game. You can tell he’s comfortable taking handoffs in the backfield, as evidenced by how easily he takes this jet sweep and turns it into a long run.
Robinson had 2,939 total yards from scrimmage in college, with averages of 11.5 yards per reception and 4.9 yards per rush. He scored 10 receiving touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns. Despite his versatility, he was rarely used as a return specialist.
What Does This Mean For Kadarius Toney?
While Cosell says Robinson isn’t quite Tyreek Hill, his skillset does overlap quite a bit with 2021 first-round draft pick Kadarius Toney. They’ll be on somewhat equal footing at training camp this summer, too, since both receivers are learning a new system under head coach Brian Daboll.
If the Giants do employ a “Tyreek Hill” package, as Cosell suggests, there’s no reason why Toney couldn’t also make an impact in that role. He will likely compete with Robinson for those reps in 2022, and we’ll know who the better fit is in Daboll’s system by 2023.
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