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Allen Robinson was one of the Jaguars draft picks that excited me the most. When was the last time we had a WR with his size/speed combination? Watching his entire 2013 season at Penn State after we drafted him was one of the more exhilarating things I've done associated with the draft. The talent jumped off the screen every game. And seeing how excited WR's Coach Jerry Sullivan was after the pick was made? The feels were strong.
As much as his talent excited me, I still didn't expect much from him from a production standpoint coming into the year, because of the simple fact that rookie WR's on bad offenses typically do not mesh. He would prove me wrong though, because before he went down with a season ending injury, he was on his way to entrenching himself as "The guy" in the offense.
Preason Takes
Best Case Scenario
"The best case scenario for Robinson's rookie season would be for him to prove himself in the role that the Jags envision for him in the offense, as their primary red zone/Intermediate receiver."
Coming into the season, I was high on Robinson's potential as the teams possession and Red Zone WR. While he proved himself as capable and reliable chain mover, he really never got the opportunities in the red zone I'd envisioned he would. Hopefully this changes next year.
Worst Case Scenario
"The worst case scenario for Robinson's rookie year is for him to not develop by some degree in his consistency in the red zone and with contested catches."
Ultimately, I had trouble configuring a worst case scenario for Robinson. I truly did expect him to step in and be the Jags top WR. I am not worried with his redzone work, because as I stated earlier, he hasn't really gotten a chance.
Realistic Expectations
"1) I expect him to struggle. He's a rookie receiver with clear issues. It doesn't matter that the Jaguars have one of the league's best receivers coaches, Robinson will, and should, be expected to struggle anyways.
2) I think Robinson will be productive to a degree simply because of the situation he's in. There is no other receiver on the roster that offers what he offers, so he should be given a large amount of opportunities solely because of that. He'll struggle, but he'll also be given many, many opportunities."
Sup, Hank Socrates.
Best Game
Robinson has a handful of games to pick from. Vs The Titans, he caught 8 of his 9 targets and turned them into 60+ yards. but ultimately, he never really had any games that filled the stat sheets with eye popping numbers (not to his fault.)
To me, his best game was vs the Cleveland Browns because of his lone TD that game. The offense was fairly stagnant throughout the first half, but when they got the ball with under 2 minutes left and entered up tempo mode, things started to click. Robinson made the most of the opportunity and made what was probably the best play of any Jaguars WR all year. He caught the ball, broke a tackle, got THISSSSSS close to his knee touching the ground, caught his balance, and then outran the defense for the TD. That was the first play he made that made many, including me, realize he had a chance to be a special talent.
Looking Ahead
I love Allen Robinson's game. Everything about it. From his size, to his speed, to his ability to be the guy you can lean on. He is just my kind of WR. I like all 3 rookie WR's on the Jaguars roster, but Robinson is far and away my favorite, and I think he is the one with the potential to turn into a true #1 WR. His injury came at a bad time, but he will have plenty of time to recover and hopefully develop with Bortles and the rest of the offense