Count Auburn offensive lineman Greg Robinson among a handful of prospects making a public case for himself, along with Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Houston Texans in the NFL Draft. After being one of the hottest stories of the NFL Scouting Combine with a performance almost unheard of for a prospect weighing 332 pounds, Robinson is parlaying the momentum.
Unlike many prospects who profess that draft position matters not, Robinson acknowledges the importance.
"I think it would matter to anybody," Robinson said, according to al.com. "As high as I can go, that's my goal. I gave it my all. Hopefully the highest -- well the No. 1 pick, hopefully they'll take me. I always want the best for myself, and I felt I worked for it, so wherever I go, that's where I go."
Robinson and fellow top-shelf offensive tackle prospects Taylor Lewan of Michigan and Jake Matthews of Texas A&M aren't expected to last long in the first round. And while conventional wisdom has the Texans focusing on its need at quarterback with the first pick, or perhaps Clowney, NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah views offensive tackle as a position of need for Houston.
"I've just been hearing a lot of things, and it's a possibility that I can go No. 1, but I don't know," Robinson said. "As far as Clowney and all the rest of them, I don't really know what they've been doing and which coaches like them, but it's fair game, really. You never know."
Robinson is one of the draft's fastest-rising prospects, emerging from a relatively unknown third-year sophomore at the start of last season to first-round projections by November. He declared for early draft eligibility in January and ran a stunning 4.92 40-yard dash at the combine in Indianapolis.
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