Like Lynn Bowden, versatility matters for Wan’Dale Robinson at NFL Combine
When Lynn Bowden was drafted out of Kentucky in 2020, he was coming off a season in which he barely played the wide receiver position. The Las Vegas Raiders were impressed enough by his overall body of athletic work — which included eight games worth of full-time reps at quarterback — to take a chance on him in the third round. They weren’t impressed enough to keep him around, though; Las Vegas traded Bowden to the Miami Dolphins, with whom he’s spent two NFL seasons, before his rookie season got started.
Bowden is the only UK wide receiver to get drafted during Mark Stoops’ tenure as head coach. The program has made incredible strides during that nine-year stretch, but its passing game for most of it left a lot to be desired, particularly in the final three seasons of Eddie Gran’s time as offensive coordinator. Poor returns on the recruiting trail followed, and ultimately prompted the hire of Liam Coen away from the Los Angeles Rams heading into last season.
The faithful among Big Blue Nation know what happened next: that development encouraged Nebraska transfer Wan’Dale Robinson, a Frankfort native, to return home. He, Coen and former Penn State quarterback Will Levis created a formidable trio, and Robinson ended his only season as a Wildcat with multiple single-season receiving records in his bag. Now, he’s poised to become the first UK receiver to get drafted out of its new pro-oriented scheme and, in a sense, the first under Stoops to be selected mostly based on what he’s shown as a receiving threat.
Like Bowden, though, Robinson’s versatility has been a point of emphasis for NFL scouts. A one-time quarterback who was used mostly as a running back at Nebraska, Robinson brings a difference-making level of physicality to the receiver position. His willingness to beat and bang led to at least a couple of his seven touchdowns as a Wildcat last season.
“I feel like anytime I get the ball in my hands, I have to turn into a running back, and I’m a threat to make a big play happen,” Robinson said during a media session at the NFL Combine. “ ... I‘m gonna fight for extra yards and just try to break as many tackles as I can trying to get into the end zone.”
Being able to talk about NFL concepts on a more granular level in team interviews has been huge, Robinson said. Since UK’s offense, operationally, is now similar to what many teams in the league use, it should make it easier for him to jump to the next level and experience fewer growing pains, particularly from a mental standpoint.
He thinks it’s going to make a difference for UK on the recruiting trail.
“The coaches are gonna know that you ran a pro-style offense and that you can come in and do the same things,” Robinson said.
Robinson was to participate in all of the combine drills except the bench press on Thursday. Most mock drafts project him to be selected somewhere in the third or fourth round; a rise into the second round isn’t off the table, but the 2022 draft class is loaded at receiver (CBS Sports has 10 rated among its top 70 players available in the draft) and teams seeking immediate help are likely to take more proven names. Robinson should be one of the first Kentucky players off the board come April, but a noteworthy combine performance could be big for his stock among the pool of receivers.
He’s spent the offseason training at Exos in Phoenix along with Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson, a likely top-10 pick who’s expected to be the first receiver off the board this spring, and Penn State’s Johan Dotson, who’s also ranked ahead of him on most boards. Robinson was coy when asked who’s the fastest of that company.
“You’ll see tomorrow,” he said with a grin.
Notes
▪ Robinson wasn’t surprised when Coen departed for the Rams, who officially hired him as their offensive coordinator on Wednesday. “I assumed that he was probably going to get it,” Robinson said. “But I’m happy for him. I wished him luck, congratulated him and everything like that. I think Kentucky’s still in good hands with the OC that they brought in. I haven’t talked to him or anything like that, but I know that Coach Stoops is gonna make a good hire.”
▪ The New England Patriots are one of the teams with whom Robinson has had a formal interview. Bill Belichick, the team’s head coach and general manager, was not present.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 3:28 PM.
