New York Giants Training Camp Preview: CB Aaron Robinson

Is there still a place for the injury-ridden cornerback Aaron Robinson on the Giants' 2024 roster?

Aug 1, 2023; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants cornerback Aaron Robinson (33) looks on during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Facility. / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

For the New York Giants, one of the last few draft picks from the Dave Gettleman era is cornerback Aaron Robinson.  

Once considered a top-20 “athlete” prospect in the country, the Giants selected Robinson in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, hoping to add a dynamic young cornerback to their secondary, which was heading away from its then veteran-led status. 

That investment has not paid off very well, as Robinson has been a constant fixture on the injured list in his first three years as a pro, and he could be on the fringes if that trend continues.

At the college level with UCF, Robinson was a two-time All-AAC player, recording  41+ tackles in his redshirt junior and senior seasons, 16 pass deflections, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. His efforts earned him a spot on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award for the nation’s best defensive back in his 2020 campaign when he ultimately would remain a finalist. 

Robinson arrived in East Rutherford, bringing flexibility to engage in duties as an inside slot or outside cornerback, and he had a good combination of size and speed to trace and disrupt routes. However, he saw just nine games in his rookie campaign, posting 26 tackles on 289 snaps, and followed it up with only two games and six tackles in 2022. 

After Robinson’s second season was marred by an appendix removal and a knee injury, he began last summer on the PUP list, where he stayed for all of 2023 as he continued his recovery. 

Returning this summer and in the final year of his rookie deal, Robinson joins a packed cornerback room that is once again filled with young talent looking to make their mark on the field. Likewise, the Giants have a few guys who have earned opportunities to step up and will likely fill starting roles beyond the conclusion of training camp. 

The Giants have indicated their plans for Deonte Banks and Cor’Dale Flott to be the outside corners. At this point, Robinson is competing for a depth role on the outside, but the time lost to injury could work against him. 

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AARON ROBINSON, CB 

Height: 6-1
Weight: 195 lbs.
Experience: 4 Years
College: UCF
How Acquired: D3-21

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2023 in Review

Due to his ongoing rehab from a knee injury suffered in 2022, Robinson spent the entirety of the Giants 2023 campaign on the sidelines. It was his third year of missing over half of the Giants games and his fourth dealing with an ailment dating back to his days at UCF.

Robinson was a pretty serviceable corner for a mixed bag of outside and slot defender work when he was on the field for brief stints in his previous two seasons. In coverage, he allowed 18 receptions on 33 combined receptions (54.5%) for 181 yards during the 2021-2022 seasons. 

Robinson limited his opponents’ damage after the catch to 73 yards and one touchdown and posted an 84.4 coverage rating, the fourth-best in the Giants' secondary. His sufficient press abilities helped in man coverage, but his instincts to trace route patterns and crash down on the catch with good angles in zone coverage also helped.  

Against the run, Robinson displays solid tackling and savviness for properly wrapping up or chopping out the runner’s legs. He hasn’t posted a missed tackle rate above 3.8% in his career, making him a good asset in run support with a desire to lay the wood on the ball carrier to create turnovers and help the Giants' defense improve. 

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Contract/Cap Info

Robinson is entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract signed before the 2021 season. The deal was a $5,143,292 total value agreement with $1,100,576 in guaranteed money and a $1,636,502 cap charge for 2024. 

If Robinson is released before the season starts, the Giants would lose $275,144 in dead money but save $1,361,358 toward their cap. 

2024 Preview

Robinson will get another opportunity this summer if he’s healthy, but it remains to be seen how far the time he’s missed has put him at a disadvantage. 

Robinson possesses all the right physical attributes and football IQ to serve as a quality slot corner or an underneath defender in the nickel. He is also comfortable playing in both man and zone coverage situations, the latter characterizing the Giants' new defensive scheme under coordinator Shane Bowen.

He runs into trouble against more complex offenses with speedy receivers who can get him to overcommit to route fakes and lose contact on verticals and comebacks. Robinson will likely see a lot more of those route combos if he takes the field in 2024 and could need to shake off the rust and adjust his game at the start of the year before the Giants entrust him with heavier duties. 

Luckily for him, there is always a need for depth in the position group if progress is shown in training camp. Robinson can also add value to the special teams department, but the Giants should be careful with how much they use him there, given his inclination for injuries.

That will ultimately be the key to Robinson’s 2024 campaign and how he impacts the 53-man roster—staying on the field. Anything extra is considered gravy for a player who has had to overcome so much.

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