Five questions on Corey Robinson with Garnet And Black Attack

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To get to know Detroit Lions seventh-round pick Corey Robinson, an offensive tackle from South Carolina, I sent five questions to Sam McDowell from Garnet And Black Attack, SB Nation's Gamecocks blog. Here's a look at what he had to say about Robinson:

1. At South Carolina, was Robinson a better run blocker or pass protector?

In college, Robinson was a pretty good blocker in both the run and the pass. But oftentimes, it seemed like he was helped enormously by either Ronald Patrick or A.J. Cann (both NFL players) in the run game. I'd say his strength was pass blocking. He didn't always stonewall whomever he was blocking, but he had the awareness to push them up the field and out of the pocket. He does need to work on his footwork, however, as he can get torched by speed rushers.

2. Robinson will likely end up focusing primarily on right tackle at the NFL level after being a left tackle in college, but do you think he has what it takes to potentially protect a quarterback's blind slide in the pros?

I think with his frame, Robinson has the physical upside to play left tackle one day. In college, Robinson was known as a hard-working and smart player. He came in as a mid-two-star recruit and flipped between the offensive and defensive lines twice before the coaches settled on playing him on the O-line. He was not the most talented young player at the time, but he worked his behind off to (at least from what I could tell) become a consistent starter on one of the better lines in the SEC the last couple of years.

3. Playing in the SEC, Robinson faced a lot of outstanding defensive linemen who are either in the NFL or are going to be in the next couple of years. How did he perform when he went up against some of the top defensive linemen in the conference?

Robinson fared okay against elite talent in the SEC. One particular game I can recall is the 35-7 beatdown of Georgia in 2012. Going up against Jarvis Jones and co., Robinson contributed to shutting down their pass rush. Now, oftentimes Connor Shaw's running ability may have made the Gamecock O-line look better than it actually was. So, it may be hard to say how good Robinson actually graded out against elite pass rushers, but from what I can tell I don't think he did poorly.

4. The Lions really put an emphasis on durability after dealing with a lot of injuries on the offensive line last year. It looks like Robinson was consistently in the lineup at South Carolina, so is it safe to say that injuries were never a concern with him?

Robinson was a very consistent player in the starting lineup. Injuries have not been a problem for him and, based on the past, I wouldn't expect them to be in the near future.

5. What kind of person are the Lions getting in Robinson off the field?

Robinson also was not in trouble during his time at Carolina. From all accounts, you are getting a level-headed young man off the field, and it should not be a problem during his time in the NFL.