Detroit Lions: Rookie Contributions a Bright Spot in 2016 Season

By Zac Snyder | Jan 26, 2017

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Taylor Decker (Ohio State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Detroit Lions as the number sixteen overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

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A’Shawn Robinson

Many draft analysts had A’Shawn Robinson as a potential first round pick and the Lions were generally praised for the value they got in drafting him in the second round. He may not have played at a level that said he should have been a first round pick, but Robinson’s season looks a lot more like what I pegged as a best-case scenario.

"Best-case scenario: Is a solid rotational guy as a rookie and inspires confidence to ease fears about defensive tackle contracts that expire at the end of 2016. Worst-case scenario: Plays some as a rookie but is generally lost in the shuffle of the rotation without standing out in a meaningful way."

By the end of the season, Robinson was a consistent starter and totaled the second-most defensive tackle snaps over the course of the season. Only Haloti Ngata played more.

That being said, defensive tackle is a position of need entering the offseason. That’s particularly true for a defensive tackle that brings more of a pass rushing presence, of which Robinson offers little help.

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