Chiefs Draft: Nebraska’s Ty Robinson could be a disruptor in KC

The NFL Draft is less than a month away, and the Kansas City Chiefs could be in the defensive tackle market.

A prospect worth watching will be Nebraska defensive tackle Ty Robinson. He brings a blend of brute strength and impressive athletic ability to the position and has the potential to be a top-100 pick in this year’s draft.

Player profile

A four-year starter at Nebraska, Robinson had a breakout 2024 season where he recorded seven sacks, four batted passes and a forced fumble. At the NFL Combine in March, Robinson put on a show.

Robinson ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any defensive tackle at the combine and had strong performances on the other athletic testing drills.

At 6’5” and 288 pounds, he is on the lighter side of defensive tackles, and his arms are only 32.5” long, but this is where he uses his superior strength and impressive movement ability to make ground.

Robinson won snaps in college with his quickness off the snap, brute strength and hot motor.

Distruptor in the middle

Robinson’s athletic ability jumps off the screen when viewing his tape. In both the run and pass games, he used a tremendous first step and good quickness to quickly disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage.

Built like a tank, Robinson’s simple “move forward and go through anyone in your way” play style helped him create havoc in offensive backfields.

Illinois is running power, and the center is tasked with blocking Robinson. Quickly reading the play, Robinson goes over the top of the center’s block and nearly beats the pulling guard to the hole.

The back has nowhere to go, and Robinson engulfs him. This disruption showed up in his run defense and his pass-rush looks.

Robinson starts his pass rush working into the slide side protection. Initially, the center and left guard are on him, but the center leaves to take on another defender due to the line stunt.

Robinson had fought through the initial double team and delivered a big shot to the left guard, knocking him off balance.

This allows him to split both blockers and work his way into the pocket. Due to the pressure, the quarterback quickly delivers the ball, which is intercepted.

Robinson didn’t get a sack, but his pressure forced a quick off-balance throw from the quarterback, and turned into a big play for his team.

Motor and athletic ability

With his excellent play strength and movement ability, Robinson already has the tools to be a successful defensive tackle in the NFL, but his motor skills make him a special player. He goes as hard as he can when the ball is snapped through the echo of the whistle, and he is often rewarded for his efforts.

Robinson doesn’t initially create pressure, but as the quarterback scrambles, he shows off his speed. He runs down the quarterback in stride and forces the fumble, which his teammate recovers.

During his time at Nebraska, Robinson swatted down an impressive 12 passes, which is even more remarkable considering his arm length is on the shorter side for a defensive lineman.

Plays like this are where his impressive vertical is on full display.

Unable to create pressure, Robinson stays active around the line of scrimmage and does a tremendous job of timing up the quarterback’s release and getting vertical to knock it down.

On plays where he doesn’t create initial penetration, Robinson uses his strength and lateral mobility to play multiple gaps on the line of scrimmage.

Lined up as the 0 nose tackle, Robinson doesn’t create any initial pressure, but this is a designed quarterback run.

The guards both slowly start to leak downfield, and when the quarterback feels the linebackers start to drop, and the edge rushers get upfield, he takes off.

There appears to be a good amount of space for him to operate, but Robinson read the play perfectly, locks out the center — and when the quarterback picks a side, Robinson fights his way off the block and brings the quarterback down at the line of scrimmage for no gain.

This play could have easily been a big rip for the offense, but Robinson ensured there would be no gain by staying stout and fighting through the block.

The bottom line

Robinson’s draft stock has varied from being a top-100 pick by some analysts to a late Day 3 selection by others.

He is on the older side of prospects, and will be 24 by the time the NFL season rolls around in September, meaning he will need to find the field sooner rather than later to have a long-lasting career in the NFL.

There are also some red flags with his lack of length and weight. He doesn’t have the long arms needed to be a traditional pass rushing 3-technique or 4i in the NFL, and his 288-pound frame leaves him a little light to be a traditional run stuffer.

All that aside, though, he is an impressive prospect — one the Chiefs could and should value, and a player with a serious chance to be taken in the top 100 picks in the draft.

Robinson doesn’t project to be an every-down player immediately in his career. Still, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive line coach Joe Cullen could utilize his versatility and athletic ability as an asset with the various fronts the Chiefs play in any game.

The high motor and athletic profile would also be a tremendous fit for a Kansas City defense that has looked faster and more explosive every season under Spagnuolo.

Robinson would get his fair share of one-on-one looks up front for the Chiefs, where he could showcase his disruptive play style and eventually impact the game.