Auburn left tackle Greg Robinson, a third-year sophomore contemplating his future, would be chosen in the first half of the first round if he enters the draft, according to an NFL scout.
The scout, who spoke to jsonline.com, raved about Robinson's physical skills and left no doubt he could play on the left side at the pro level. NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently wrote that Robinson has the ideal traits for an NFL left tackle and will be the second-best player (Jameis Winston holds the No. 1 spot) in this season's national championship game.
"He's a stud. Left tackle. You're talking about a ton of athleticism, size, strength. He's not getting a lot of attention because people don't realize he's a redshirt. Not quite sure why (Gene) Chizik redshirted him. I think that was a big mistake. He's in the top 10, 15 easy if he comes out," the scout said.
Robinson redshirted in 2011, which makes him three years removed from high school and thus eligible for the draft, even though he's just a sophomore in terms of college eligibility. The scout also confirmed what NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks wrote last week -- the draft appears exceptionally deep with left-tackle prospects.
"There's probably five tackles that can go in the first round. Six if you factor in (Robinson)," the scout said.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also spoke with scouts who added Texas A&M right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi to the first-round mix.
"Everybody knows what they get with (TAMU's) Jake Matthews. (Alabama's Cyrus) Kouandjio is a good player. Taylor Lewan's a good player. The other tackle (Cedric Ogbuehi) from Texas A&M is a good player. They're all first-rounders," one scout said.
Ogbuehi is also considering an early jump to the NFL, but has no experience playing left tackle. He started at guard as a sophomore for the Aggies, and played this season at right tackle opposite Matthews, who might be the first tackle chosen.
Still, the scout sees left-tackle potential in Ogbuehi.
"This is a left tackle in the league," he said.
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