The Chicago Bears have stubbornly refused to add another pass rusher over the past few months. It didn't make sense to many. GM Ryan Poles barely addressed the problem outside of adding veterans DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green to the mix. They still don't have anybody that can be considered a sack artist. This was a clear message that the Bears were willing to wait and see if some of the young guys might take a step forward in training camp. Such a decision is looking smarter and smarter by the day. Dominique Robinson is the reason.
Everybody remembers the 5th round pick from last year. Chicago felt they got a freak athlete out of Miami (Ohio) with loads of potential. His only problem was rawness. He'd only played defensive end for a couple of years, having arrived at college as a wide receiver. Things started great with 1.5 sacks in the 2022 opener, but he failed to register any more the rest of the season.
Expectations were low going into training camp this year. However, it seems the young defender learned some things. The clip below proves it.
Robinson said his biggest mistake last season was never learning how to use power moves. He relied exclusively on his speed and agility. Blocker soon realized this and took advantage. So he came into camp determined to fix that problem. Based on recent reports, it's seeing immediate results.
Dominique Robinson is figuring out what he can do.
He ran into the same wake-up call many inexperienced rushers do when they get to the NFL. What worked for them consistently in college won't cut it at this level. Robinson was able to rely on his speed and quickness to generate pressure all the time at Miami. It took only a few games to learn that won't work against pro tackles. You need a constant mix of speed and power along with a detailed plan from snap to snap on how to use your hands. Some players never grasp that reality. Robinson seems to understand.
He admitted that it took a rock bottom moment last year to snap him out of his funk. It came against Philadelphia Eagles left tackle Jordan Vailata, who schooled him when the Bears faced the eventual NFC champions late last season. It was an embarrassing 60 minutes of football for the rookie. That was when he accepted reality and began approaching coaches for more help. This off-season was spent with former All-Pro Robert Mathis, learning the various tricks of the trade.
It seems Dominique Robinson is a fast learner.
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