2022 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Prospect: Wan’Dale Robinson, WR Kentucky
Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Wan’Dale Robinson, WR from Kentucky. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league.
We are getting to the point where we should expect a deep wide receiver class in every draft. Sure, we might experience some low points here and there, but for the most part, we should expect the pond to always be stocked with wide receivers.
When it comes to this year’s group of receivers, the talent extends past the second round of rookie drafts. It doesn’t mean we are going to get ten or more wide receivers who are locked and loaded to contribute to our fantasy teams. It means there are plenty of wide receivers who have indicators in their player profile that they have the potential to hit at the next level.
A receiver in this year’s draft who has some positive attributes that they could develop into a coveted dynasty asset is Wan’Dale Robinson. He checks the boxes on a lot of different metrics and his tape checks out. The only thing left is to see where he goes in the draft.
THE STATS
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
Coming out of high school, Robinson was ranked as the top all-purpose back in the 2019 recruiting class according to 247Sports. He started his freshman season at Nebraska seeing usage in both the pass and run game. There were three games where he received ten or more rushing attempts. He also had four games where he caught five or more passes.
His first 100-yard performance came against Illinois where he accumulated 168 total yards and three touchdowns. Robinson’s first 100-yard receiving performance came two weeks later against Northwestern when he caught seven balls for 123 yards.
In a shortened regular season due to Covid, we saw him appear in eight games, accumulating 701 yards from scrimmage along with two touchdowns. Going into the 2020 season he was on the watchlist for the Paul Hornung Award. If he played in a full 12-game season, his numbers would have prorated to over 1,051 yards and three touchdowns. I would imagine he would probably exceed the prorated total considering Nebraska previously had Central Michigan, South Dakota State, and Cincinnati on the schedule.
Nebraska has won six games in the last two years. It’s about impossible to argue against Robinson’s decision to transfer out to Kentucky. In actuality, his reason for taking his talents to Kentucky was to be closer to home. He made his presence felt immediately when he started the season with three straight 100-yard performances. Robinson finished the season third in the nation with 104 catches and second in the SEC with 1,334 receiving yards.
Robinson has one of the cleanest production profiles in this year’s class. He broke out at age-19 with a 30.31 percent market share of Nebraska’s passing production. Then he decided to break out with a tremendous 43.11 percent market share of Kentucky’s passing production.
Very few wide receivers get the opportunity to break out with two different collegiate programs. Most of the time, when a player transfers, it’s because they are struggling to break out or there is some other issue. In Robinson’s case, he figures out a way to be productive for both teams.
This is an indicator that could have a smooth transition to the NFL game. He demonstrated that he can go to a new team, learn their system and produce on the field. This doesn’t mean he will breakout at the NFL level, but it’s an indicator that he can adapt to a new environment.
THE FILM
He’s not a technical route runner but he can win with short-area quickness. He is very sudden when it comes to breaking off routes to create separation. His limited experience playing against press coverage could develop into an issue, but he’s a fast-twitch athlete who can use footwork and other tactics to work through press coverage. With that being said, he profiles more as a slot receiver with some versatility than a receiver who constantly lines up on the outside.
Robinson will surprise you with his ball skills. He does a good job at tracking down balls when operating downfield. His hands are strong and he can easily pluck balls out of the air while running in stride. Last season he converted 53.3 percent of his contested targets. Robinson doesn’t have the prototypical build to box-out opposing defensive backs at the catch point.
He does very well after the catch. Robinson has excellent vision and a good feel of the momentum of the defenders around him. He racked up 544 yards after the catch last season. There are times when he will get caught from behind, but he has more than enough speed and quickness to be a threat with the ball in his hands.
THE MEASURABLES
Per DLF’s Player Combine Performance App.
At the Scouting Combine, Robinson measured in at 5-foot-8 and weighed in at 178 pounds. He ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash which equated to an 85.33 size-adjusted speed score. His speed score measured in as the fourth-worst at the combine among wide receivers prospects. Robinson posted slightly above average burst metrics with a 34.5-inch vertical and a 118-inch broad jump.
Altogether, he is athletic enough to compete at the NFL level. However, his size is going to be an issue. At 5-foot-8 he is going to be an outlier compared to the rest of the wide receivers in the league. We simply don’t see many wide receivers come into the league at his height.
Per DLF’s Player Combine Performance App.
Above are the wide receivers who compare the most to him athletically. As you can see there are not any wide receivers with his size-adjusted athleticism who are mega producers at the NFL level. A lot of people want to draw a comparison to Rondale Moore. However, Moore ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash and graded over the 90th percentile in both burst and agility scores.
DYNASTY VALUE
Courtesy of DLF’s Rookie ADP.
Robinson is consistently falling to the middle of the second round in rookie mock drafts. He currently has an ADP of 17.30 and is being valued as the WR11. There are times when he will fall further than his ADP. I’ve seen him drafted at the 3.01 range before, but those instances should be considered the exception. He’s never pumped up to the first round of drafts. At the highest, you might see him in the 2.03-2.05 range.
His superflex ADP has him at 26.10 overall, making him an early third-rounder in rookie drafts. After conducting a lot of mock drafts, I can tell you that his value fluctuates depending on how your league values certain players in the draft. There are times when I see him selected in the middle of the second round and there are other times where you can catch him in the middle-to-late third round. There’s a lot more volatility in superflex drafts this year, so you will sometimes catch a middle tier of wide receiver or running back at a discount.
I don’t see his value in rookie drafts rising or falling after the NFL Draft. If there’s a chance it’s going to be small. He will more than likely be selected on the second day of the draft which should already be baked into his ADP. His landing will be very important. If he goes to a team that grants him the opportunity to see the field and has good quarterback play, then we will see a boost in his value. He’s not a candidate to slide in the draft, it can happen, but it’s not likely. I don’t see him being a major faller.
Courtesy of DLF’s ADP Over Time App.
Dynasty gamers will tend to let some players fall through the cracks in drafts, but generally, once ADP gets to double-digits at any position the hit rate will be very slim. Above is a chart of the ADP timeline of the WR11s from March ADP dating from 2017 to 2021.
One thing to note here is every one of these players had at least one marker in their profile that gave fantasy gamers some optimism. This doesn’t mean he will experience a fall from grace like the previously mentioned wide receivers, but considering where he’s being drafted it’s still in the range of outcomes.
CONCLUSION
Robinson is a rookie who should be on everyone’s radar – mainly because of his cost in drafts versus his age-adjusted production. I like the fact that he broke out with two collegiate programs. He is being drafted in a range where there aren’t many other options who deliver the same security and upside.
There are some red flags in his profile. He does not have the prototypical size for a productive wide receiver at the NFL level. His size-adjusted speed is questionable due to his small frame. Robinson might be regulated to just the slot and might be more of a gadget player.
I feel all the negatives are baked into his price tag and he’s being drafted at a discount for a wide receiver with good production from two Power Five programs. There are other options at running and wide receiver in the middle-to-late second round, but the player pool starts to get shallow the further we get into the second round. At cost, he’s worth taking a look at in rookie drafts.
- Dynasty Film Review: Michael Penix and Spencer Rattler - January 4, 2025
- Dynasty Film Review: Kimani Vidal, Audric Estime and Kenny McIntosh - December 28, 2024
- Dynasty Film Review: Jalen Coker, Jalen McMillan and Malik Washington - December 21, 2024
Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Wan’Dale Robinson, WR from Kentucky. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league.
We are getting to the point where we should expect a deep wide receiver class in every draft. Sure, we might experience some low points here and there, but for the most part, we should expect the pond to always be stocked with wide receivers.
When it comes to this year’s group of receivers, the talent extends past the second round of rookie drafts. It doesn’t mean we are going to get ten or more wide receivers who are locked and loaded to contribute to our fantasy teams. It means there are plenty of wide receivers who have indicators in their player profile that they have the potential to hit at the next level.
A receiver in this year’s draft who has some positive attributes that they could develop into a coveted dynasty asset is Wan’Dale Robinson. He checks the boxes on a lot of different metrics and his tape checks out. The only thing left is to see where he goes in the draft.
THE STATS
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
Coming out of high school, Robinson was ranked as the top all-purpose back in the 2019 recruiting class according to 247Sports. He started his freshman season at Nebraska seeing usage in both the pass and run game. There were three games where he received ten or more rushing attempts. He also had four games where he caught five or more passes.
His first 100-yard performance came against Illinois where he accumulated 168 total yards and three touchdowns. Robinson’s first 100-yard receiving performance came two weeks later against Northwestern when he caught seven balls for 123 yards.
In a shortened regular season due to Covid, we saw him appear in eight games, accumulating 701 yards from scrimmage along with two touchdowns. Going into the 2020 season he was on the watchlist for the Paul Hornung Award. If he played in a full 12-game season, his numbers would have prorated to over 1,051 yards and three touchdowns. I would imagine he would probably exceed the prorated total considering Nebraska previously had Central Michigan, South Dakota State, and Cincinnati on the schedule.
Nebraska has won six games in the last two years. It’s about impossible to argue against Robinson’s decision to transfer out to Kentucky. In actuality, his reason for taking his talents to Kentucky was to be closer to home. He made his presence felt immediately when he started the season with three straight 100-yard performances. Robinson finished the season third in the nation with 104 catches and second in the SEC with 1,334 receiving yards.
Robinson has one of the cleanest production profiles in this year’s class. He broke out at age-19 with a 30.31 percent market share of Nebraska’s passing production. Then he decided to break out with a tremendous 43.11 percent market share of Kentucky’s passing production.
Very few wide receivers get the opportunity to break out with two different collegiate programs. Most of the time, when a player transfers, it’s because they are struggling to break out or there is some other issue. In Robinson’s case, he figures out a way to be productive for both teams.
This is an indicator that could have a smooth transition to the NFL game. He demonstrated that he can go to a new team, learn their system and produce on the field. This doesn’t mean he will breakout at the NFL level, but it’s an indicator that he can adapt to a new environment.
THE FILM
He’s not a technical route runner but he can win with short-area quickness. He is very sudden when it comes to breaking off routes to create separation. His limited experience playing against press coverage could develop into an issue, but he’s a fast-twitch athlete who can use footwork and other tactics to work through press coverage. With that being said, he profiles more as a slot receiver with some versatility than a receiver who constantly lines up on the outside.
Robinson will surprise you with his ball skills. He does a good job at tracking down balls when operating downfield. His hands are strong and he can easily pluck balls out of the air while running in stride. Last season he converted 53.3 percent of his contested targets. Robinson doesn’t have the prototypical build to box-out opposing defensive backs at the catch point.
He does very well after the catch. Robinson has excellent vision and a good feel of the momentum of the defenders around him. He racked up 544 yards after the catch last season. There are times when he will get caught from behind, but he has more than enough speed and quickness to be a threat with the ball in his hands.
THE MEASURABLES
Per DLF’s Player Combine Performance App.
At the Scouting Combine, Robinson measured in at 5-foot-8 and weighed in at 178 pounds. He ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash which equated to an 85.33 size-adjusted speed score. His speed score measured in as the fourth-worst at the combine among wide receivers prospects. Robinson posted slightly above average burst metrics with a 34.5-inch vertical and a 118-inch broad jump.
Altogether, he is athletic enough to compete at the NFL level. However, his size is going to be an issue. At 5-foot-8 he is going to be an outlier compared to the rest of the wide receivers in the league. We simply don’t see many wide receivers come into the league at his height.
Per DLF’s Player Combine Performance App.
Above are the wide receivers who compare the most to him athletically. As you can see there are not any wide receivers with his size-adjusted athleticism who are mega producers at the NFL level. A lot of people want to draw a comparison to Rondale Moore. However, Moore ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash and graded over the 90th percentile in both burst and agility scores.
DYNASTY VALUE
Courtesy of DLF’s Rookie ADP.
Robinson is consistently falling to the middle of the second round in rookie mock drafts. He currently has an ADP of 17.30 and is being valued as the WR11. There are times when he will fall further than his ADP. I’ve seen him drafted at the 3.01 range before, but those instances should be considered the exception. He’s never pumped up to the first round of drafts. At the highest, you might see him in the 2.03-2.05 range.
His superflex ADP has him at 26.10 overall, making him an early third-rounder in rookie drafts. After conducting a lot of mock drafts, I can tell you that his value fluctuates depending on how your league values certain players in the draft. There are times when I see him selected in the middle of the second round and there are other times where you can catch him in the middle-to-late third round. There’s a lot more volatility in superflex drafts this year, so you will sometimes catch a middle tier of wide receiver or running back at a discount.
I don’t see his value in rookie drafts rising or falling after the NFL Draft. If there’s a chance it’s going to be small. He will more than likely be selected on the second day of the draft which should already be baked into his ADP. His landing will be very important. If he goes to a team that grants him the opportunity to see the field and has good quarterback play, then we will see a boost in his value. He’s not a candidate to slide in the draft, it can happen, but it’s not likely. I don’t see him being a major faller.
Courtesy of DLF’s ADP Over Time App.
Dynasty gamers will tend to let some players fall through the cracks in drafts, but generally, once ADP gets to double-digits at any position the hit rate will be very slim. Above is a chart of the ADP timeline of the WR11s from March ADP dating from 2017 to 2021.
One thing to note here is every one of these players had at least one marker in their profile that gave fantasy gamers some optimism. This doesn’t mean he will experience a fall from grace like the previously mentioned wide receivers, but considering where he’s being drafted it’s still in the range of outcomes.
CONCLUSION
Robinson is a rookie who should be on everyone’s radar – mainly because of his cost in drafts versus his age-adjusted production. I like the fact that he broke out with two collegiate programs. He is being drafted in a range where there aren’t many other options who deliver the same security and upside.
There are some red flags in his profile. He does not have the prototypical size for a productive wide receiver at the NFL level. His size-adjusted speed is questionable due to his small frame. Robinson might be regulated to just the slot and might be more of a gadget player.
I feel all the negatives are baked into his price tag and he’s being drafted at a discount for a wide receiver with good production from two Power Five programs. There are other options at running and wide receiver in the middle-to-late second round, but the player pool starts to get shallow the further we get into the second round. At cost, he’s worth taking a look at in rookie drafts.
- Dynasty Film Review: Michael Penix and Spencer Rattler - January 4, 2025
- Dynasty Film Review: Kimani Vidal, Audric Estime and Kenny McIntosh - December 28, 2024
- Dynasty Film Review: Jalen Coker, Jalen McMillan and Malik Washington - December 21, 2024
