PATRIOTS 2024 FOURTH ROUND DRAFT PICK LAYDEN ROBINSON
PRESS CONFERENCE
APRIL 27, 2024
Q: Well, start us out Layden. What has this day been like for you? What is it like when you hear your name called, when they call you?
LR: I mean, it's been great. Just having the blessing of being here with my family and everybody that's been close to me my whole life, just having that feeling of the call, it was great, and it was a blessing in disguise. It couldn't have been from a better place.
Q: Layden, can you tell us where you are and who's with you today?
LR: So, I'm in Galveston, Texas at this beach house out here, and it's pretty nice. It's amazing. It's windy, and fishing sometimes. It's really good, just hanging around with my grandfather, my uncles, my mom, my cousins and my godmother. It's just a great surrounding of love.
Q: Can you just tell all of us and Patriots fans a little bit about your game?
LR: The biggest part of my game is I'm a grinder. It's been instilled in me for years, for a long time, especially with my coaching staff at Texas A&M. Just be a grinder, just go in there and be tough, be gritty and go after people over and over again. That's my play style, you know? Growing up, I always looked up to Larry Allen. I love the way that he played the game. Some great offensive linemen like Quenton Nelson, Chris Lindstrom, guys like that. You see their film; they're popping off the tape with their effort and straight end finishes, and that's how I kind of model my game.
Q: What kind of contact did you have with the Patriots before the draft, and what was that contact like?
LR: The contact was great. I mean, I talked to everybody a lot at the Senior Bowl. Then, we kind of visited at the Combine a little bit. Then, they did interview me at A&M for the Pro Day. So, it was kind of like, we met a lot, and they got to know me a lot. They got to know where my football mind was at as well, and it was just great communication above everything.
Q: I was just curious, what has been your impression of the Patriots before this moment, and what is it like to hear your name called with that organization?
LR: Well, the impression of the Patriots, just a championship program. Just going there and when I visited – because it was one of my 30 visits – I mean, it was a great feeling. I loved the coaches. Just going around the facility and seeing all the previous players, all the accolades and just the tradition of the Super Bowl championships that they had in there. That's a winning program, and we're doing everything that we can to try to get this back on the road to becoming a Super Bowl-contending team again.
Q: Obviously, Drake Maye was the first overall pick for the Pats this year. What do you know about him, and what's your impression of now getting to play with someone like him?
LR: Drake Maye is a guy picked in the top 10 of the quarterbacks. So, it was really good just seeing him get drafted there. I don't know much about him because in the SEC, we didn't really play North Carolina. The only time we played North Carolina, I believe, was in the Orange Bowl a couple of seasons ago. So, you know, I really don't know much about him, but I can't wait to get to know much about him, just get to know him as a person, get to know him as a player and see his mindset because I've played with a lot of different quarterbacks, and you get a feel for different guys. I just can't wait to get to know him and just see him on the field.
Q: I see that you started at right guard at Texas A&M. Are you coming to the NFL as a right guard? What type of versatility do you have, and are you comfortable playing any other positions on the line?
LR: Yes, sir. I'm very comfortable playing any other positions. Whatever the team needs of me, that's what I'm going to do because you can always learning anything. I played a couple of snaps at left and in camp sometimes, and also, I would snap the ball after practice every day just in case, just to get those reps. So, I'm always open to anything to help the team out. I'm a versatile guy, and just anything they need of me, I'm going to do it.
Q: I was curious about your interactions with Alex Van Pelt, if you had any, and what he kind of told you about your potential fit in this offense? A lot of wide-zone, play-action starting from New England on the inside.
LR: Just coming in, understanding everything and basically just getting after it. It's like running off the ball and getting after everything. That's the main thing that they talked to me about up there because a lot of people talk about my play style and how I like coming off the ball, and that was just my greatest attribute. And they're right, that is my greatest attribute. I've got things I need to work on, I'm going to get them done, and I'm going to work on them because I know what I have to work on. But, just excited to be there. That's just everything, you know? Just excited to be there, get to work and just go crazy.
Q: What are some of those improvements for your game, if you don't mind me asking?
LR: Well, just the improvements of my game is basically the technical side of pass protection. I got some good reps in, but there's a lot of reps that I could have improved on. I've seen that, I broke down that zone, and I know what I need to get better at. So now, I've just got to get in there, attack all my weaknesses and then make them my strengths.
