2024 NFL Draft: 3 things to know about Keilan Robinson

Get to know the Jaguars’ new additions from draft weekend with our ‘3 things to know’ series.

With the 2024 NFL Draft in the books, it’s time to reflect on how the Jacksonville Jaguars fared. Did Trent Baalke deliver a masterclass, or has he just set the Jags back five years? Truth is, we probably won’t know that for some time. But we can get to know the newest members of the team a little bit better. Next up in our mini-series of deep dives we bring you three things to know about Keilan Robinson, RB, Texas:

Robinson is a versatile weapon

Versatility is a phrase that gets bandied around recklessly during draft season. Every prospect can do everything it seems, with very little evidence to back up their assertions. But in an industry where the hits get celebrated and the misses quickly forgotten, what is stopping analysts from getting carried away?

The good news is that Jaguars fans don’t have to believe this analyst when I say that Keilan Robinson is a multi-faceted playmaker. Instead, they can hear it directly from his former coach; Steve Sarkisian mentored Robinson at two stops, firstly as his offensive coordinator at Alabama before the running back followed his coach to Texas. It’s fair to say that ‘Sark’ was over the moon to see his protege find an NFL home in the fifth round – and offered a very complementary assessment of his former student:

“Jacksonville got a big-time playmaker at running back and on special teams in Keilan Robinson. He’ll be an absolute do-it-all-threat for the Jaguars. Keilan was a critical addition when he came into our program. When he transferred from Alabama, he was the one guy that really had played for us and could help show the guys how we needed to do things. He knew our style of coaching, he knew the demanding style we had, but he also knew the relationship piece and how important it was, too. I think a big thing about Keilan as a player is his versatility. We used him a lot in the gadget type plays, getting him the ball on the perimeter etc.”

“He has elite speed so when he gets the ball in space, he’s always a threat to go the distance to score. We saw that in the running game, the passing game and kickoff return game here, so his versatility and ability to do multiple things are key. He’s tough, he’ll pass protect and do all those types of things that create value for himself because of the versatility he provides. And with the new kick returns rules in the NFL, Keilan will be an awesome weapon in that role for the Jaguars too. I’m fired up for him and looking forward to seeing him in the NFL.”

Trent Baalke always takes a running back in every draft, so seeing Robinson come off the board was no surprise. Stuck on a depth chart behind Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby and D’Ernest Johnson, he has some work to do before he earns any carries – but could he be a threat to Devin Duvernay on special teams?

A fan of the uniforms

In every draft cycle, NFL teams work hard to keep their cards lose to their chest, and restrict any information leaking out. Fearful of tipping their hand, sometimes even the prospects aren’t sure if a franchise is interested in them. So it went for Keilan Robinson, who aside from some modest contact throughout the process, was only really aware of the Jaguars intrigue for him just before draft weekend. Speaking to reporters after being selected, he was grateful to head to Duval County, and made mention of his affection for the team’s gameday attire:

“I talked to the Jags a couple of times, not a whole lot. I talked to them a little bit in January, kind of like when the process was just starting. I talked to them a little bit at the combine and then I might’ve talked to a scout or two after the Pro Day but other than that I hadn’t really talked to them until maybe a week ago. Around the time the draft comes, they do like the last kind of round of checks, and I got a call from a scout, he was just checking in with me just seeing how I was doing. I’m like,’ I aint talk to y’all in a minute. Y’all like me?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, we like you a lot. I hope everything goes well.’ I left the conversation thinking, ‘Alright, Jacksonville would be cool’ You know? Nice uniforms, y’all on the rise. You’ve got Trevor Lawrence, [Travis] Etienne, y’all got a bunch of playmakers everywhere so I thought Jacksonville is alright. Then, I’m just watching the draft, I’m here at home chilling with my mom and my older brother, and I’m just watching it as a spectator. I’m not even thinking about myself, you know what I mean? I’ve been watching this my whole life, so it just seemed like another year just watching the draft, and to get the call from them was crazy. When I got it I looked at my phone and was like, ‘Oh, here we go. 904 if I remember correctly is Jacksonville’. So, I was like, ‘Oh shoot y’all.’ For them to tell me that man it’s just all my dreams coming true. This is what I’ve been waiting on since I was a little kid so. It’s all surreal right now. It doesn’t feel real.”

Robinson looked good in the Alabama crimson and the Texas burnt orange. You can now add the black and teal of Jacksonville to that list.

Did Robinson pawn his 2020 championship rings?

If reality TV is a guilty pleasure of yours, you may be familiar with something called ‘Pawn Stars’ – a show that follows the trials and tribulations of a pawn shop that tries to make money in the cutthroat world of cash for collateral. In one episode two years ago, a clip from the show covered the sale of a collection of three college football championship rings that had previously belonged to – yep, you’ve guessed it – Keilan Robinson.

In the classic ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ omerta that pervades pawnbroking, the rings were brought in by someone called ‘Jon’, who claims he was given them by his uncle. That’s how much we know about how they ended up a focus on the show. But in the spirit of putting two and two together and coming up with a full house, some detective work may allow us to understand how this came to be…

The murky world of NIL now allows college stars to sell assets obtained via playing sports, so there is nothing illegal about these rings being on sale. Celebrating the Crimson Tide’s success from the 2020 season, the collection included an SEC Championship ring, a Rose Bowl winners Ring, and of course the National Championship ring too. Now, Keilan Robinson opted out of that season due to COVID, making it conceivable he had very little sentimental attachment to the bling. Transferring to Texas the following season, perhaps Robinson felt like those rings were worth more to him financially – and considering they fetched $40,000 on the show he was probably right!