NFL training camp starts at the end of July, which means players around the league are getting their last bits of offseason work in before the real work of trying to make the roster begins.
For certain players, this season is what some may call “Make or Break,” meaning they need to put together a productive year or they could be looking for employment elsewhere at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
We’ll highlight those players for the Giants, starting with cornerback Aaron Robinson.
- Two games (both starts)
- Six tackles, one pass defensed
When the Giants drafted Robinson in the third round of the 2021 draft, they undoubtedly hoped that they were bringing in a player who would earn a starting role within his first few seasons.
Unfortunately for Big Blue, he’s suffered through an injury-plagued first couple of years, starting just four games.
With the knowledge that they couldn’t afford to rely on Robinson in 2023, the Giants opted to use their first pick in this April’s draft on Deonte Banks and the expectation is that the rookie will be able to earn a starting role in his first season.
There should be plenty of competition for roles at the cornerback positions, though, so Robinson still has a chance to make his mark with the team.
The most important thing for Robinson is that he can stay healthy even to have an extended run in the lineup. Any further injuries could cause him to fall so far behind in the race to earn key roles that it might be difficult to overcome.
It’s not just been one re-occurring issue with Robinson, though. He began his rookie year on the PUP list following a core-muscle surgery and missed time early in his second season due to an appendectomy. He then suffered a season ending knee injury in his return to the lineup.
Robinson may have been more snake-bitten than injury prone early in his career, so he desperately needs a change of fortune.
Even if he’s healthy, there is plenty of competition to overcome. Darnay Holmes, Cordale Flott and Nick McCloud started 18 games between them in Robinson’s absence last season and will be in the competition with Robinson in training camp. If all three play well, Robinson might not even make the roster.
Another thing Robinson must avoid is preseason struggles. He should get a lot of opportunities to play but he played poorly in that situation last year, giving up a touchdown and two penalties in just 57 snaps.
The Giants were obviously high on Robinson, because they traded up to draft him in the third round and they trusted him enough to put him in the starting lineup multiple times in his first few seasons. While he’s a bit of a forgotten man having played last season, a healthy Robinson has a chance to remind the Giants what they saw in him.
The good news about Robinson’s knee injury was that it was only a partially torn ACL, so hopefully he can make a full recovery and his athleticism won’t be as compromised as it would have been with a full tear. He played 43 games in college, only missing significant time in his sophomore year, so he has proven in the past that he can be durable.
Something else that works in Robinson’s favor is that he has plenty of experience at both slot corner and on the outside. This means he has a chance to factor in the competition for playing time at both spots and gives him more of an opportunity to capitalize if any of his teammates get hurt.
Robinson has played quite well whenever he’s been given a chance so will be hoping his combination of size, athleticism and talent will give him a shot at reminding Giants fans what he’s capable of.
