PITTSBURGH — The Steelers have a striking situation at their inside linebacker spot. While Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander, and Elandon Roberts have settled into a lovely trio, a fourth name got thrown into that hat in Las Vegas. Mark Robinson, against an inside run-heavy team, notched some snaps on Sunday. That was a bit of a surprise, but Robinson has prepared for this moment since he entered the NFL. It’s nothing new to him.
“It felt good, man, to get down there out in the lights,” Robinson said. “I got a couple of snaps, you know, I guess you could say everything turned out good. It was a great game.”
Robinson’s aura does not smack you in the mouth as a loud, rowdy player. He often sits at his locker quietly, and on the field, you only need to look in his eyes to realize there is a silent intensity in him. Not everyone will be Vince Williams personality-wise, but Robinson might just be him play style-wise.
Take it from defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. He saw Robinson’s game as encouraging. A seventh-round pick in 2022, Robinson is still new to the linebacker position. He converted from running back to linebacker at Ole Miss, but his athleticism and reckless abandonment at the position remain rare traits. It’s about molding Robinson into an all-around, fundamental linebacker. He came in as a ball of clay, and the Steelers must sculpt him into their vision.
“I think Mark (Robinson), we think Mark is a young guy on the rise,” Austin said. “We like Mark and we felt he earned some reps,and he went in there and did a good job. Had a couple of tackles, couple tackles on special teams. I think Mark’s trending in the right direction and we’re going to keep him growing. That’s what we have to do. I think if you see a young guy that’s gaining momentum doing the right things, and you think he has a chance to be a good football player then we have to try to give him live reps because that will only accelerate his growth.”
Robinson’s earned some of those reps through his special teams understanding, but he also played well at training camp and the preseason. The Steelers have yet to expand his horizons and test him in coverage much, instead using him against run-heavy teams. But his development is coming along nicely if the coaches sought to give him reps against a prominent lead-blocking team despite having three linebackers they think are starter-level.
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