After seeing a mass exodus of defensive players in free agency, the Philadelphia Eagles made it a priority to address that side of the ball with their first three picks in the 2025 NFL draft.
To start things off, the Eagles took Jihaad Campbell in the first round (31st overall). Then, they followed that selection with the picks of Andrew Mukuba in the second round (64th overall) and Ty Robinson in the fourth round (111th overall).
While fans were excited about the selections of Campbell and Mukuba, they were also intrigued by Robinson, who looked to be the perfect pick at the top of the fourth round to give the Eagles more depth at defensive tackle following the departure of Milton Williams. However, fast forward months later to Week 10 of the 2025 season, and the rookie defensive tackle hasn’t been a factor in the team’s defensive game plan.
Eagles Fans Shouldn’t Write Off Ty Robinson Despite Slow Start
The former Nebraska defensive tackle made his NFL debut in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs, but only played four special teams snaps. Robinson didn’t get his first defensive snaps (two) until Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Overall, the 24-year-old rookie has played sparingly in his rookie season, seeing 35 defensive snaps, with the majority of them coming in the Eagles’ Week 6 blowout loss to the New York Giants.
The Eagles needed extra depth at DT as Jalen Carter was sidelined by an injury. The rookie defense played 19 snaps, turning in one tackle and a pass deflection. It wasn’t an all-world performance, but a stepping stone to hopefully more opportunities.
When Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was asked about Robinson’s performance in Week 6, he gave a quick one-liner. “For his first meaningful snaps, I thought he did fine,” Fangio said via Ed Kracz of Eagles on SI.
While that isn’t a huge endorsement, it's a starting point for the young defensive lineman. Since that game, Robinson has received only 13 total defensive snaps over the next two games.
The rookie defender doesn’t have it easy, as the Eagles' DT group has been playing tremendously this season, which includes Byron Young.
Young, who is holding the fourth defensive tackle spot, which would be for Robinson, has a 60.6 overall defensive grade (ranking 59th among 124 qualified DLs) across 138 snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He also has 13 combined tackles, two pressures, and a quarterback knockdown.
When fans saw the Eagles draft Robinson in the spring, they thought they were getting an instant contributor who had the quickness, burst, and versatility to affect the game. It hasn’t happened yet, but the hope is that Fangio will give him more of an opportunity down the stretch.