Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: EDGE Alton Robinson - Bounce Back Season Incoming?

Injuries have prevented Alton Robinson from building off a strong rookie season over the past two years and with his health still in question, he faces a make-or-break season with the Seattle Seahawks against a more competitive edge rushing group.

Corbin K. Smith | Jun 25, 2023

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities wrapping up league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Alton Robinson, EDGE/Outside Linebacker

Height/Weight: 6-3, 259 pounds

2022 Stats: Did Not Play

As a fifth-round pick out of Syracuse, where he produced double-digit sacks as a junior in 2018, Robinson provided an unexpected spark for Seattle's pass rush in a limited rotational role. Despite only seeing the field for 336 defensive snaps as a seldom used reserve, he registered 22 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble, and five tackles for loss, leading to outcry from fans for him to play more.

Unfortunately, after flashing starter potential in his first year in Seattle, a banged up knee held Robinson back in 2021, limiting him to just one sack and a reduction in playing time as the year progressed. His misfortunate continued into his third season as he suffered an MCL injury in the preseason finale and wound up missing the entire season. Still working back from injury and unable to participate in the team's offseason program this spring, his future with the organization remains up in the air.

Best-Case Scenario: Activated from the PUP list midway through training camp with a clean bill of health, Robinson returns to his rookie form setting a firm edge against the run and amassing five quarterback pressures in two preseason games, showing enough coming back from injury to maintain one of the final roster spots in Seattle's deep edge stable.

Worst-Case Scenario: Rushing back into action, Robinson looks like a shell of his rookie self and knee injuries appear to have sapped him of his explosiveness, leading to his release at the end of training camp and an eventual placement on season-ending injured reserve, putting his NFL future in question.

What to Expect in 2023: Before a rash of injuries struck over the past two seasons, Robinson exceeded expectations as a fifth-round pick, looking like Seattle's latest day three gem playing defensive end. Aside from nearly reaching 20 quarterback pressures, he shined as a run defender, receiving a solid 68.4 grade from Pro Football Focus in his first NFL season. Some speculated he could push for a starting role in 2021 based on his stellar play.

But it has been two years since Robinson last performed at that level and while he made a few plays in the preseason before going down with his latest knee injury last August, he may not be the best schematic fit in the Seahawks 3-4 defense as an overhanging outside linebacker. If he can make it back onto the field healthy at some point during training camp and rounds back into playmaking form, he should be able to win a spot on the roster, but anything less than that could make it difficult to stick around in a crowded edge group further bolstered by the addition of second-round pick Derick Hall and return of a healthy Tyreke Smith.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

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Published Jun 25, 2023

CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.