The first thing that stands out about Ty is the impression of seeing a colossus demolish everything in his path, largely due to his remarkable explosiveness off the snap. He truly explodes out of his stance, and his size is immediately noticeable, even among other imposing figures on the offensive and defensive lines.
Just like his explosiveness, his speed and mobility are impressive for his size.

Speaking of his size, while a 6'5", 288-pound frame might seem "normal" for the NFL, his physique makes him look imposing and impressive. Take J.J. Watt, for example (and the choice of player is not coincidental). He looked incredibly strong and imposing among other extraordinary physiques, and Ty Robinson gives off the exact same visual impression.
Indeed, while comparisons can sometimes be misleading, the similarities between Ty Robinson and J.J. Watt are striking. Both possess impressive physical attributes and have demonstrated versatility and strength on the field. As the draft approaches, such comparisons can highlight Ty's potential and the impact he could have in the NFL, much like J.J. Watt has had throughout his career.

As I was saying, the comparisons are numerous and justified. Even in how his defensive coordinator might deploy him, there are clear similarities—Ty’s size, skill set, and on-field impact make him a potential game-changer across multiple positions. To be precise, the only role where he might not be entirely comfortable is as an outside linebacker edge rusher. Otherwise, whether it’s as a 3-tech or 1-tech in a 4-3 front, a defensive end in a 3-4 front, a 0-tech in a 3-4, or even a 4-3 defensive end in specific packages, he has already proven his capability through years of experience at Nebraska. Sound familiar?

Once again, as you might expect, if I dare to compare Ty Robinson to an all-time great like J.J., the minimum requirement is undeniable power—and Ty certainly has it. Whether in one-on-one situations or facing double teams, he consistently showcases impressive strength, whether through his technique execution or his ability to disengage and shed blocks.
While he is generally solid against double teams, there are times when he puts himself in difficult situations against them, as we’ll discuss in the weaknesses section.
The most impressive aspect of Ty’s game, which truly showcases his natural strength, is his ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage—it's just insane. Far be it from me to criticize the offensive lines of the B1G conference, which is generally an elite pipeline for NFL-caliber OL, but I would have loved to see Nebraska face an SEC team. The SEC is known for its massive, power-based interior offensive linemen, and it would have been fascinating to see how Ty handled that level of competition. What stands out the most about his penetration ability is how effective it is despite his rather average footwork, which currently limits him from fully dominating. The fact that he can still be this disruptive despite that speaks volumes about the raw power he possesses, both in his upper and lower body.

Now, let’s get to what most teams care about when evaluating a defensive lineman’s value—pass rush. Ty certainly doesn’t disappoint in this area. Throughout his tape, I’ve seen him effectively use a variety of power rush moves like the Club, Rip, Bull Rush, and Push-Pull. What’s even more intriguing is that he’s not just a pure power rusher—he’s also shown flashes of speed rush techniques, utilizing a well-executed Swim move, Chop, and even some rare but effective Spin moves as counters. This diverse skill set makes him a dangerous and unpredictable pass rusher, which is something NFL teams will undoubtedly value highly.
Speaking of counter moves, Ty has even demonstrated his ability to transition from speed to power when lined up as a Weak Side Defensive End in an unbalanced Front 40. From a Wide 7 alignment, he effectively converts his burst into a powerful Bull Rush when engaging the tackle—a great sign for his development. When you combine this with his overall skill set, it’s easy to see why he managed to rack up **seven sacks this season**. His versatility and technical refinement make him a legitimate pass-rushing threat from multiple alignments, which will certainly intrigue NFL scouts.
Another key aspect of Ty’s game is his **active hands in pass-rush situations**. He consistently works to keep blockers from getting a strong grip on him, using quick hand-fighting techniques to disengage. Additionally, for a player of his size, he displays **impressive torso flexibility**, allowing him to swat away offensive linemen’s hands while slipping through gaps. His hand usage isn't just valuable in rushing the passer—it also helps in **disrupting passing lanes**. Over the past two seasons, he has recorded **10 passes defended** (4 this year and 6 last year). That’s not a coincidence—it’s a testament to his awareness and ability to affect the game beyond just sacks.

Since we're talking about statistics, it's important to take a quick look at this topic to counterbalance his age, which could be an important factor in his final value, but also to understand what I mentioned in the introduction about Ty Robinson shining on tape. Ty Robinson is coming off his biggest season at Nebraska with 37 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 4 passes defended, but Ty at Nebraska means 134 tackles, 12 sacks, and 12 passes defended over his career.

Like all prospects, while Ty Robinson has real qualities, it is also his flaws that will help us gain clarity on the value we want to assign to him. While some may see these flaws as deal-breakers, others will view them as clear areas for improvement that could be addressed quickly.

As we just discussed, I’ll start this section with Ty’s age because I believe it will play a significant role in where he is selected next April. Robinson is indeed an experienced player, having spent five seasons at Nebraska, and he enters the draft at just 24 years old. Having turned 24 in March, Ty will be 24 throughout his rookie season, but skeptics might see this as an explanation for his sudden statistical breakout this season. When a 24-year-old player competes against 20-year-olds, it can explain a certain differential in physical abilities.
Beyond this aspect, as you know, teams like to bet on younger players to either develop them or to maximize years of production. With his advanced age, it’s highly likely that he will slide a bit despite his qualities.

Now that his age has been mentioned, let's move on to the two major weaknesses Ty will need to improve on to take the next step. The first is his leverage ability. Ty plays high and sometimes way too high. You’ll often hear me say this in my reports, but yes, I know that for a frame like his, playing low can be very difficult, even maddening, but that’s what will make the difference between being a good player and being excellent. If Robinson wants to reach that level, he’ll need to put in a lot of effort to improve this aspect. If he can play lower while maintaining a strong power angle, he could dominate for many years in the pros.

Let's move on to the second major weakness in his game, which will also impact his ability to improve his leverage: footwork.
On the footwork side, Ty still has a lot of work to do, as it’s currently quite average. This is probably his biggest flaw in my opinion. Between his feet base which narrows too quickly, preventing him from fully developing his lower body power and also often placing him in a position of imbalance, and the fact that he tends to stop his feet like an offensive lineman anchoring into the ground when facing a well-executed double team, it starts to become quite a lot. If we also factor in the issue of him playing too high at times, it’s easy to see how this directly affects his performance and how he can sometimes create difficulties for himself in certain situations, as I pointed out in the strengths section.
Of course, Ty can work on it, but the fact that he’s so far behind in terms of footwork could really worry some teams, especially considering his age.

I also noticed that Robinson has developed the bad habit of often attacking the line of scrimmage with his shoulder to create penetration. This likely comes from his high school days, when he physically dominated his opponents, but he hasn't been properly coached. After 5 years in CFB, it's a shame, and sometimes Ty either escapes plays or makes things much harder for himself by doing this.

In terms of pass rush, he can still improve by adding new moves to his arsenal, but it's especially his execution speed where I think he can see the most progress. Indeed, he still sometimes takes too long to execute his technique, which leads to missed sacks or tackles for loss. If he can speed up his execution once in the pros, he could truly become lethal in his pass rush.

Finally, the last area where Robinson needs to improve is his play recognition, which can sometimes be really poor, especially when he starts to tire. It's not uncommon for him to bite on a run fake and head in the opposite direction of the play. I've even seen him rush to one side simply based on what the offensive lineman is showing him, for instance, charging left because the OL is pointing his shoulders that way, while the entire offense is actually going to the other side. While he's usually solid most of the time, there's a noticeable drop in his ability to read the game when he fatigues, and I think giving him some rest on certain plays could help significantly.