Washington drafts DT Phidarian Mathis and RB Brian Robinson Jr. on day 2
April 29, 2022
by Steve Thomas
On day 2 of the 2022 draft, the Washington Redskins Washington Football Team Washington Commanders Washington selected Alabama defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis with the 15th pick in round 2, 47th overall, and Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr. with the 34th pick in round 3, 98th overall.
Mathis, who stands 6’4” and weighs 310 pounds, spent five years at the University of Alabama, including a redshirt freshman year in 2017. During that time, he played in 46 games, making a total of 129 tackles, including 53 solo and 16 for loss, and 10.5 sacks. In 2021, Mathis played 14 games, and made 53 tackles, including 20 solo, and 9 sacks, and earned Second Team All-SEC honors. At the NFL Combine, Mathis jumped 23.5 inches in the vertical leap and 9’1” in the standing broad jump, and ran the 20 yard short shuttle in 4.91 seconds.
Mathis is known for his leadership qualities and was named as a Crimson Tide captain for the 2021 season. As a player, he is known as a scheme-versatile lineman who’s better as a run stuffer than as a pass rusher. Scouts view him as having good strength for the position, and as someone who can play in either a 3-4 or 4-3 system. In terms of weaknesses, his relative lack of athleticism limits his range in the interior defensive line, and his pass rush needs to improve.
With Washington allowing Tim Settle and Matthew Ioannidis to leave in free agency without making offers to either, and seemingly unwilling to extend Daron Payne, they created holes in what was the strength of the defense. As a result, Washington needed to bring in a new defensive tackle. The team will therefore expect Mathis to become a long-term starter in the interior, particularly if Payne leaves.
Robinson, 6’2” and 225 pounds, stayed at Alabama for a full 5 seasons, playing in a total of 55 games, gaining 2704 yards in 545 carries, for an average of 5.0 yards per carry, and 29 touchdowns, plus 52 receptions for 446 yards, 8.6 yards per reception, and 2 touchdowns. In 2021, Robinson had 271 carries for 1343 yards, 5.0 yards per carry, and 14 touchdowns, plus 35 receptions for 296 yards, 8.5 yards per reception, and 2 touchdowns. He earned First Team All-SEC honors in 2021. At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.53 seconds, jumped 30 inches in the vertical leap and 9’11” in the standing broad jump.
Robinson is a very physical, mostly straight ahead power runner and a classic NFL short-yardage back. He’s not known to be overly quick and elusive, although he moves well for his size. Analysts view him as being highly effective in pass protection. Robinson was buried on Alabama’s depth chart behind several NFL-quality running backs, but finished his collegiate career with a significant number of carries. This could be a long-term durability concern for Washington.
This was a move that Washington had to make considering starter Antonio Gibson’s waning effectiveness in 2021 as compared to his rookie year. It’s likely that Washington will use Robinson in tandem with Gibson, who doesn’t specialize in inside, downhill running. In this regard, Robinson should fit nicely into Washington’s offensive system. If he pans out, the team could have it’s two-headed monster of the future at running back.
Day 3 of the draft begins Saturday at noon eastern time.