Under the radar former Alabama Crimson Tide player suddenly thrust into the spotlight following unexpected starting opportunity
One of Alabama’s more underrated players is receiving notoriety ahead of his second year in the league, and it’s an opportunity that came out of nowhere when you look at the details of what’s going on in Denver.
The Athletic released its 32 breakout candidates across the NFL, and former Alabama Crimson Tide pass rusher Que Robinson is the name to watch for the Denver Broncos. A few months ago, Robinson landing on a list like this would have seemed unlikely. But with the legal situation surrounding Jonathan Cooper in Denver, opportunity has knocked, and Robinson is the one positioned to answer.
As the saying goes in the NFL, one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity. Robinson now has the chance to seize a role that wasn’t available to him before, and The Athletic believes he has the tools to make the most of it.
Que Robinson 2025 stats
- 12 total tackles.
- 0.5 sacks.
- 1 pass deflection.
Robinson flashed in the biggest moment of Denver’s season
The Athletic laid out Robinson’s case by pointing to moments of excellence with the Broncos, most notably in the AFC Championship game, where he recorded a sack against Drake Maye. That flash on the biggest stage is exactly the kind of thing that gets evaluators excited about a player’s ceiling.
The truth is, that was the tale of Robinson’s career at Alabama, too. When he put it all together, you would have thought you were watching a future first-round pick. He has all the makings of a dominant, traits-driven starting outside linebacker in the NFL. The problem was always consistency. The tools were obvious, but stringing them together on a snap-to-snap basis proved elusive during his time in Tuscaloosa and through his first season in Denver.
The door is open for Robinson to carve out a starting role
So the immediate question becomes whether Robinson can finally turn those flashes into sustained production. Forget the fact that he was a fourth-round pick. Forget the fact that he wasn’t a starter last season. None of that matters now.
What matters is that Denver needs someone to step up, and Robinson has the God-given physical traits to do it. The length, the explosiveness, the burst off the edge were all evident during his time with the Crimson Tide. Those traits don’t disappear. They just need the right opportunity and the right mindset to translate at the professional level.
Robinson is entering a situation where the Broncos need him to produce. That kind of pressure can either make or break a young player, and to this point in his career, Robinson has shown enough to suggest he can handle it. The sack against Maye in the AFC Championship wasn’t a fluke. It was a glimpse of what Robinson is capable of when everything clicks.