Wan'Dale Robinson on Todd McShay's list of top 2022 NFL Draft playmakers

Wan’Dale Robinson is currently projected to go in the third or fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft; whichever team selects him will be getting one of the draft’s top playmakers, according to Todd McShay. ESPN’s senior NFL writer released his rankings of the best playmakers in the draft, aka the “All-Satellite Team,” this morning; Robinson is sixth on the list of seven.

Another 5-foot-8, sub-180-pound prospect, Robinson is a versatile slot receiver whose twitchiness and suddenness stand out on tape. He can reach top speed in a split-second after making a cut. It’s wild to watch. And every time he touches the ball, the game seems to speed up.

Robinson has easy speed, clocking 4.44 in the 40 at the combine. He is always in control and hits second gear in a flash. And he’s a true ankle-breaker in space. Robinson forced 26 missed tackles last season, tied for the sixth most among receivers.

He made an impact as both a receiver and ball carrier at Kentucky, and he averaged 111.2 yards from scrimmage per game. He plucks the ball on the run as a receiver and transitions upfield smoothly. His quickness, burst, balance and vision stand out after the catch. In the vertical game, Robinson doesn’t have the size or length to dominate bigger, more physical cornerbacks, but he has the speed to run right past them.

I think Robinson could be a valuable No. 3 receiver in the NFL, and I currently have him ranked at No. 72 overall (WR11).

Todd McShay, ESPN

In just one season at Kentucky, Robinson caught a team-high 104 passes and had 1,334 receiving yards, setting single-season school records. After transferring in from Nebraska, Robinson had six 100-yard games in the 2021 season, which ranks second on Kentucky’s single-season list. He joins Randall Cobb as the only two receivers in school history to have 12 or more receptions in multiple games during their career and is the sixth player in SEC history to catch at least 100 passes in a season.

Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams tops McShay’s playmaker rankings. From the SEC, Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks (No. 3) and Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (No. 7) made the cut as well.

The 2022 NFL Draft is April 28 to 30 in Las Vegas. The latest ESPN seven-round mock draft includes six Kentucky Wildcats (Darian Kinnard, Josh Paschal, Luke Fortner, Robinson, Yusuf Corker, Marquan McCall), which would tie for the most selections in the modern era in school history with the last year’s draft (Jamin Davis, Kelvin Joseph, Quinton Bohanna, Brandin Echols, Landon Young, and Phil Hoskins).