Over the last few weeks, a few Pittsburgh Steelers youngsters have gotten some more playing time. The jolt of energy has led them on a three-game winning streak, positioning them with a legitimate chance at making the playoffs heading into Week 18. One of those beneficiaries has been rookie middle linebacker, Mark Robinson, who didn’t see much action at all early in the season. Rewind to his college days at Ole Miss, where he was originally a running back.
For the 2021 season, he made the transition to linebacker. Despite just one season at the position, the Steelers took him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Robinson was obviously a raw, unfinished product coming out of college, but the scouting department clearly saw something in him. On Thursday via Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, defensive coordinator, Teryl Austin discussed what stood out about Robinson from the start of training camp in Latrobe:
“When we got to camp, you put the pads on, that’s when you really started to like him,” Austin said via Adamski. “You knew he had some learning to do, like all rookies, he had to figure it out. But you saw he had an appetite for contact, an appetite for the game. He loves it. That’s when you really knew he had a chance.”
Robinson was indeed a standout from training camp. He was earning rave reviews for just what Austin talked about: his hard-hitting mentality from the linebacker position. It even earned comparisons to former Steelers linebacker, Vince Williams. For much of the season though, he’s been a game day inactive behind Myles Jack, Robert Spillane, and Devin Bush.
In Week 15 against the Carolina Panthers, Robinson saw his first defensive snaps of the season. While he appeared on just seven plays in that victory, the rookie flashed his physicality. In the team’s crucial Week 17 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Robinson played 26 defensive snaps, along with five more on special teams. Outstandingly, he was on the field for exactly 50% of the team’s defensive snaps. It was quite the increase in playing time after he had just seven snaps all season before Week 17.
He made a ton of plays, ending the day with seven combined tackles. His strength obviously resides in the running game, where he can flash his willingness to hit people, a trait that Austin alluded to. Unfortunately, he may not see the same amount of snaps in Week 18 against the Cleveland Browns. Austin referenced that Bush will see more playing time this upcoming weekend, which could mean a decrease in time for Robinson.
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