Browns NFL Draft Profile: S Jammie Robinson is a ‘feisty defender’

The Cleveland Browns were a mess more often than not on defense in 2022, with defensive tackle catching most of the scrutiny.

But the defensive secondary contributed more than its share of mistakes with blown coverages and poor tackling plaguing the unit at the most inopportune times.

General manager Andrew Berry addressed some of those issues with the decision to move on from veteran safeties John Johnson III and Ronnie Harrison Jr. while signing safety Juan Thornhill in free agency to pair with Grant Delpit.

The position group is still thin, however, so it would not come as a surprise to see Berry select a safety in the 2023 NFL Draft.

One possible name to keep an eye on, thanks to Dane Brugler’s seven-round mock draft at The Athletic, is Florida State safety Jammie Robinson, a player the Browns have hosted for a pre-draft visit.

Name: Jammie Robinson

Position: Safety

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 191 pounds

College: Florida State Seminoles

Stats (4 seasons): 47 games, 37 starts, 319 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 23 passes defended, 7 interceptions

Relative Athletic Score

Average “Big Board” Position As of Publishing Date

119th Overall (NFL Mock Draft Database)

TDN Consensus Grade: 79.50/100 (Third-Round Value)

PFF Big Board Rank: 75 (Second- or Third-Round Value)

What an Expert is Saying

Pros and Cons

Robinson is “arguably the most complete safety in the draft class” and a defender who is “a tremendous tackler,” according to Pro Football Focus. He is also a “feisty defender” and a willing run supporter who also displays “anticipation and burst to provide quick closure and make plays on the throw,” according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

Robinson is also versatile as PFF credits him with 633 defensive snaps played in the box, 759 deep and 1,348 from the slot during his four-year career.

On the other hand, there are questions about Robinson’s ability to hold up at the NFL level, and while he displayed versatility he has some limitations as a pass defender, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler:

Though a strong batting average as an open-field tackler, his lack of ideal length and play strength will be more noticeable versus NFL talent. Overall, Robinson is a small-framed defensive back and labors at times when asked to run vertically, but he plays with the natural instincts and urgent read-react quickness desired for the nickel position.

Robinson’s best role may be closer to the line of scrimmage, but he has “average stopping power” and struggles to stay with receivers if he falls behind in a route, according to Zierlein, so while he may be willing to mix it up as a run defender, will his body hold up to the challenge?

Browns Player Drafting Could Impact

The Browns are set for starters at the safety position with Thornhill and Delpit, but after that, the position is not exactly stout. D’Anthony Bell played a handful of snaps on defense last season with limited results (48 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus) and Bubba Bolden is nothing more than a developmental player at this point. With no other options on the roster at the moment, Bolden would be the player most in jeopardy of losing a roster spot if Cleveland drafts Robinson.

Priority

Medium to High: Much of the attention this offseason has focused on fixing the defensive tackle position, but the safety position was not a team highlight in 2022. Even if Schwartz is not as enamored with playing three safeties as much as his predecessor, the Browns can still use another viable safety, especially one that likes to be involved with stopping the run, so Robinson is a player to watch when the Browns are on the clock in next weekend’s draft.