NFL coaches and scouts put all of the draft prospects under a high-power microscope.
On Tuesday, it was former Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson, widely considered a top-10 pick for the coming draft May 8-10, who was probed.
While Robinson didn’t attempt to improve on his stellar combine numbers, he did field-position drills and went through an interview with St. Louis Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau. The Rams hold the second pick in the draft.
The Falcons, who hold the sixth pick, were represented by Southeast Area scout Anthony Robinson. General manager Thomas Dimitroff has said that improving the offensive and defensive lines are an offseason priority.
“They just wanted to see my footwork today because they said we didn’t work out of three-point stance much here,” Robinson said. “So, they got me in a three-point stance and had me pull and shoot my hands.”
Robinson said film study revealed that he would expose his chest, which could be problematic in the NFL.
“So, they had me do a lot of single-punching drills and said that will help me keep everything (protected) and would not expose my chest,” Robinson said. “It’s not a big difference as far as adjusting, but it’s something that I didn’t work on much when I was here because we focused on the run so much.”
Robinson enjoyed his chat with Boudreau, who was the Falcons’ offensive line coach from 2008-10.
“We were just trying to get to know each other because we only had 15 minutes when we were in Indianapolis,” said Robinson, who has a private workout scheduled with Tampa Bay for Friday. “He was just trying to pick my brain and test me on football stuff. It was just some more time for him to get to know me.”
At the NFL scouting combine, Robinson solidified his spot in the top 10 and may have a chance to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans.
Robinson weighed 327 pounds, five pounds lighter than he did at the combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.92 seconds and lifted 225 pounds 32 times.
He didn’t mind the critiques of his stance or his pass-protection moves.
“It’s better to hear it from other people,” Robinson said. “If it makes sense and if it will help me, I’ll use it.”
Robinson, who plans to attend the draft in New York, is not got getting caught up in the draft chatter.
“I just wanted to give myself an opportunity to get drafted high,” Robinson said. “I try not to pay attention to most of that. Every day I have an opportunity to step on the field or get into the weight room, I just give it my all, and I’ll see where that will take me.”
Also, Auburn defensive end Dee Ford participated in the Pro Day. He was not medically cleared at the combine because of a 2011 back surgery. Ford ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, had a vertical jump of 35 1/2 inches and lifted 225 pounds 29 times.
“I felt like I did good,” Ford said. “I’m never satisfied. I feel like I did well. I’m really looking forward to the future.”
Ford weighed only 244 pounds and competed in the linebacker drills for 3-4 teams.
“Dropping in space, it was something that was foreign to me, but I was able to really get some things done with that,” said Ford, who’s projected as a mid- to late-first-round pick. “Now, I’ve got some things to look forward to and to work on between now and the draft.”
