Utah Jazz 2018 Draft Profile: Jerome Robinson

After his pre-draft rise up mock draft boards, to the surprise of many, Jerome Robinson may not be around by the time the Utah Jazz are on the clock picking 21st.

Jerome Robinson, a 21-year old Junior out of Boston College, has quickly become the draft’s most meteoric riser. After helping the Eagles return to ACC relevancy, the only question is whether or not the recent hype will translate to the NBA and if the Jazz will bite if he is available at pick No. 21.

Robinson worked out with the Jazz on June 15th. Amazingly, the Boston College product was the highest rated player that Utah worked out according to ESPN’s top 60.

While many scouts love Robinson’s playmaking ability, many critics still question if he is deserving of a mid-first round nod. If that is the case, Utah will have to look elsewhere with the 21st overall pick.

Just a couple months ago, Robinson was slated to go in the 30-40 range.

Now, due in large part to his skyrocketing up draft boards, the potential high-first-round pick has been invited to the NBA draft’s green room. If the Jazz really are interested in Robinson at 21, all of this hype surrounding him probably won’t help their chances of him falling.

So what are teams seeing in Robinson’s game anyway?

First of all, while he was not highly recruited out of high school, Robinson helped guide Boston College basketball back to a respectable level in the ACC. After enduring two BRUTAL seasons in which the Eagles won a combined 16 games, Robinson improved every season and helped guide BC to a much-improved 19-16 record in 2017-2018.

While most players would have thrown in the towel or looked elsewhere, Robinson not only stuck it out but was a driving force behind the Eagle’s comeback season. This fact alone speaks volumes to his character and competitiveness.

Robinson’s rise, however, goes far beyond his leadership in college. He has become a deadly marksman.

In an era of basketball that can’t seem to get enough shooters, Robinson’s future could be bright. The 6’6” prospect shot an impressive 41 percent from downtown and 49 percent from the field in his Junior campaign.

Factor in his playmaking ability and you can start to see why Quin Snyder and the Jazz might be interested in adding a talent like Robinson to their drive-and-dish offensive system.

There is no questioning Robinson has game, but is he really a realistic fit for the Jazz? With Ricky Rubio and Dante Exum currently on Utah’s roster, should the Jazz be looking to add another guard to the mix?

While you could argue that the Jazz would be better suited by addressing other, more immediate needs, finding Donovan Mitchell‘s long-term partner in the backcourt must be high on Dennis Lindsey’s To-Do list.

If Robinson’ s rise has a reality check and he is available for the Jazz at No. 21, Utah’s front office will have a tough decision to make. However, It wouldn’t be the first time that Lindsey and Co. have taken a risk on a late-rising ACC guard.

Next: Utah Jazz 2018 NBA Draft profile: Anfernee Simons

What do you think? Is Robinson’s hype real or will he end up being a bust? Let me know in the comments below or tweet me @TylerDThorpe.