The Los Angeles Rams haven’t made many additions this offseason, but two of them have been wide receivers. On Thursday, they agreed to terms with former Chiefs and Ravens wideout Demarcus Robinson, a Super Bowl champion and former fourth-round pick.
Robinson joins a now-crowded wide receiver room in Los Angeles and will compete for a roster spot in during training camp next month. Get to know the veteran receiver with seven quick facts.
1
He has 4.59 speed
Robinson came into the NFL in 2016, opting to leave Florida early to enter the draft. At the combine that year, Robinson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, a bit slower than some expected and certainly not one of the faster times by a wide receiver. He plays faster than that time suggests, similar to Cooper Kupp, showing he has enough speed to win downfield throughout his career.
He also posted a 4.19 in the 20-yard shuttle, ninth-best among wide receivers in 2016, and jumped 34.5 inches in the vertical.
2
He was given the 10th-biggest average cushion of any WR last season
Robinson may not be a burner, but he had the attention of defensive backs last season. According to Next Gen Stats, Robinson was given an average cushion of 7 yards at the line of scrimmage in 2022, the 10th-biggest of any player. Among the players who were given a bigger cushion than Robinson were Tyler Lockett, Rondale Moore and Chris Olave, all of whom have good speed. Robinson was also tied with Brandin Cooks in this department.
Surprisingly, Ben Skowronek ranked fourth, so make of it what you will.
3
Generated 3rd-most separation in the NFL in 2020
Robinson was very good at generating separation for Patrick Mahomes in 2020. According to Next Gen Stats, he ranked third in average separation (4.2 yards) that year, only behind Deebo Samuel (4.6) and Robert Tonyan (4.2). Robinson had his best year in 2020, catching 45 passes on 59 targets for a career-best 466 yards and three touchdowns.
For comparison, Cooper Kupp averaged 3.6 yards of separation during his historic 2021 season.
4
He burned Eli Apple for a 41-yard TD in last year’s playoffs
One of the best plays of Robinson’s career came in the Ravens’ playoff game against the Bengals this past year, and it came against the guy who allowed the game-winning touchdown catch to Kupp in Super Bowl LVI: Eli Apple. It was a 41-yard touchdown reception that wasn’t even contested by Apple because Robinson burned him so badly with a quick slant fake at the line of scrimmage.
Eli Apple got cooked pic.twitter.com/Vo4F9xPw4i
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) January 16, 2023
5
He caught Patrick Mahomes’ 50th TD of the 2018 season
In 2018, Mahomes had a historic season for the Chiefs, throwing 50 touchdown passes en route to his MVP title. That’s tied for the second-most in NFL history with Tom Brady, only five fewer than Peyton Manning’s 55 in 2013. It was Robinson who caught touchdown No. 50, an 89-yard bomb against the Raiders in the season finale.
6
Lined up as an outside receiver 88% of the time
If Robinson makes the Rams’ roster, he’s not going to play in the slot much. According to PFF, he’s played 88% of the snaps in his career as an outside receiver, which included a career-low 30 snaps in the slot last season with the Ravens. He can be either an X or Z receiver for the Rams, but most likely not a Y.
7
He’s never missed a game in seven seasons
Whether Robinson makes the Rams’ 53-man roster or ends up on the practice squad, there’s a good chance he’ll be available if/when the team needs him. Robinson is as durable and reliable as they come at wide receiver, never missing a single game in his seven-year career thus far. He played all 16 games in his first five years with the Chiefs, followed by 17 games in 2021 and another 17 with the Ravens in 2022.
