Florida State CB Patrick Robinson taken 32nd overall by Saints.

Former Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson became the first FSU player to be picked in the first round since 2007, going to the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints.

Heading into the NFL Draft, Patrick Robinson said he hoped to end Florida State's first-round drought, and that is just what he did -- barely.
Thursday night, a lifelong dream came true for the former Seminole cornerback, as Robinson (5-11, 190 pounds) was selected 32nd overall by the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints -- the last pick of the first round.

Robinson, a former Gulliver Prep star, is the 35th Seminole to be drafted in the first round, and the first since 2007 when linebacker Lawrence Timmons was drafted 15th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Heading into his senior season, Robinson was considered a first-round lock. Former FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said on numerous occasions that, physically, Robinson was just as strong as elite FSU cornerbacks Deion Sanders and Terrell Buckley, or any other former Seminoles.

But after being part of a defense that ranked just 77th against the pass, his stock slipped, and the first round didn't seem like such a certainty. The fact that Robinson failed to intercept a single pass also didn't help, although he had 11 pass breakups and 36 tackles.


ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said during Thursday night's broadcast that one of the reasons Robinson had zero interceptions might have been that teams didn't throw his way often, and that he had a good season but not an elite season.
``You expected him to be elite as a junior and a senior,'' Kiper said. ``He was good; he wasn't great.''
Kiper also said that while Robinson didn't have many chances to make plays on the ball during his senior year, he stepped up his tackling and forced two fumbles, making him attractive to teams.

``I was impressed with his tackling ability,'' Kiper said. ``I thought he was a good all-around player.''
Despite not having an interception, his senior leadership led FSU's coaches to name Robinson the team's 2009 defensive MVP.

Once the season ended, Robinson went to Orlando to train with Tom Shaw to prepare for the Senior Bowl, NFL Scouting Combine and FSU's pro day in the hopes of getting back into the first-round picture.

His pro day workout in Tallahassee might have been what got him back in the first-round mix. Some scouts clocked Robinson as fast as 4.38 in the 40-yard dash.
Robinson should have a chance to compete for playing time in New Orleans. Despite winning the Super Bowl last season, the Saints gave up an average of 300.3 yards per game through the air, and opposing teams completed 68.9 percent of their pass attempts.

Robinson worked almost exclusively in man coverage during his career at Florida State, which should fit with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' blitzing style.
Cornerbacks were a hot commodity in the first round. Robinson was the fifth corner selected among the first 32 picks, behind Joe Haden (Florida), Kareem Jackson (Alabama), Devin McCourty (Rutgers) and Kyle Wilson (Boise State).

With the second and third rounds taking place Friday night, Robinson will be watching to see if former teammates Dekoda Watson and Myron Rolle are the next Seminoles taken in the draft.

BY -Paul Thomas