Amik Robertson isn’t your typical fourth-round cornerback. Most of the time, Day 3 picks in the defensive backfield are projects who will likely need to spend their first few seasons in the NFL on special teams before they can actually contribute on defense.
But Robertson is different. He is one of the few Day 3 picks at cornerback that can come in right away and compete for starting snaps. In 2019, he was named a First-Team All-American after recording 21 pass deflections and five interceptions. While Robertson lacks elite size, his ball skills and aggressiveness make him a perfect fit in the slot.
If you haven’t had a chance to study Robertson’s game yet, here is a video of every play that he was targeted in coverage last season. The video is 16 minutes long, but as you will see, Robertson just doesn’t get beaten very often.
Lamarcus Joyner handled most of the slot snaps for the Raiders last season, but he wasn’t particularly strong in that area. Given just how productive Robertson was during his collegiate career (48 pass deflections), it wouldn’t be surprising if the Raiders allowed him to compete for that job right away.
