There's a lot of excitement surrounding the Panthers' No. 1 pick, Bryce Young, along with wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and offensive lineman Chandler Zavala. However, the one guy that isn't getting nearly the same attention is Panthers' fifth-round pick, Jammie Robinson.
The former Florida State product was overlooked in the draft, somehow slipping to pick No. 145. But don't let that draft position fool you, this kid can play. Several members of the roster and coaching staff have praised the versatility of Robinson, who can play just about anywhere in the secondary.
Following the final day of mandatory minicamp, veteran corner Donte Jackson expressed his first impressions of the rookie and even compared his game to one of the top secondary players in the NFL.
"Jammie...pitbull. He's one of my favorite players in the DB room, one of my favorite guys to talk to. He's just football, man. That's the type of stuff you can't teach," Jackson stated. "He can be a difference-maker early. Like a Tyrann Mathieu hybrid. Just the amount of ball he's able to consume and the amount of positions he's able to play. He can be a good player in the secondary for a long time. He's definitely showing it with how smart he is and how physical he is."
Some guys have the skillset to play multiple positions but end up staying in one spot in college and when they get to the league and attempt to learn different spots, it can be information overload. Robinson isn't that guy. He was used in a lot of different ways at Florida State which has helped him make a smooth transition to the NFL.
"Jammie is a guy that has come in and impressed us right from the beginning just with his knowledge, work ethic, being able to learn and pickup the defense quickly," safeties coach Bert Watts said a couple weeks back. "It's a lot of information to retain in a short amount of time and he's shown the ability to do that. He's shown that he can really play multiple positions."
Lining up at three or four different positions is challenging and not every player can handle. It comes with a lot of responsibility but it's something Robinson embraces.
"I’m a team guy, so it’s playing in different situations where guys get hurt and I’ll have to go down on like a Wednesday practice and be down there and compete at the nickel position. Honestly, I’m a team guy and I don’t care what position I’m playing as long as I’m on the field out there making plays for my team and just helping the team get wins. That’s what I’m about."
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