The San Francisco 49ers secondary features a ton of young talent that will be looking to compete with some of the more veteran players. Defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley thinks Rashard Robinson can be one of those guys. Hefley likes Robinson’s length and man-coverage ability, adding that he thinks Robinson has natural press corner skills. He also told 49ers.com that he loves the competitive spirit Robinson brings every day, saying he brings a little bit of “that dog” to the table.
“What you love about him is, you like corners who have that dog in them, that confidence in him. He’s got that,” Hafley recently told 49ers.com. “He’s competitive, and you’ve got to have that in you.”
We’ve seen reports of Robinson getting into it with Quinton Patton and Bruce Ellington during practice, and really is not one to shy away. Robinson has admitted to being a talker. He thinks that’s part of being a defensive back, and confidence is an important part of the job. He did say you still have to be humble and hungry, but clearly he is comfortable in what he can do on the field.
The 49ers cornerback situation seems to be looking at Tramaine Brock and Jimmie Ward on the outside. Dontae Johnson and Chris Davis have gotten some nickel back work, and the team drafted Will Redmond as a potential slot corner. According to Grant Cohn, Robinson did give up the most receptions during minicamp. Considering the physicality he could bring to the position, I am curious to see how he looks when pads are on and things start getting more physical. He hadn’t played competitive football in the year and a half leading up to the draft, so it will be interesting to see how he does when he gets into preseason action.
Whatever the case, it will be interesting to see what decisions present themselves as the end of August approaches. The young talent at cornerback has plenty to prove, but if they get some positive results, how does the depth chart eventually shake out? It would certainly be a good problem to have.