Wan’Dale Robinson Selected by Giants as 43rd Overall Pick in NFL Draft
Kentucky junior wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson was chosen in the second round by the New York Giants as the 43rd overall pick in the 2022 National Football League Draft on Friday in Las Vegas.
Robinson, a 5-foot-10, 183-pounder from Frankfort, Kentucky, was one of the most electric players to ever come through the Kentucky football program. In 2021, the transfer from Nebraska caught 104 passes for 1,334 yards, setting UK single-season records in both categories, with seven TDs. Although he played only one season at UK, he ranks 17th in school history in receiving yardage. He also had seven rushing attempts, good for 111 yards and a 15.9-yard average per carry.
Robinson became the sixth player in Southeastern Conference history to catch at least 100 passes in a season. He had six 100-yard games, which ranks second on UK’s single-season list. He joins Randall Cobb as the only two receivers in school history to have 12 or more receptions in multiple games during their career.
Robinson was named second-team All-America by Pro Football Focus. He was an All-SEC first-team selection by Pro Football Focus and Phil Steele.
Robinson helped lead Kentucky to a 10-3 record – only the fourth 10-win season in school history – capped by a 20-17 win over Iowa in the Vrbo Citrus Bowl. He earned the Most Valuable Player award in the bowl game after catching 10 passes for 170 yards. He had four receptions for 86 yards in the game-winning drive late in the contest, including a dazzling 52-yard catch-and-run that set up the winning TD.
The Draft concludes with rounds 4–7 on Saturday, April 30 at noon ET. The Draft will be televised nationally by NFL Network, ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and can be heard nationwide on Westwood One Radio, SiriusXM NFL Radio and ESPN Radio.
Kentucky/NFL Draft Notes:
- This marks the fourth straight year UK has had at least one player taken in the first three rounds.
- Robinson is the 19th player drafted under head coach Mark Stoops at Kentucky.
- There have been 10 other Wildcats who have been drafted by the Giants’ franchise in Gene Myers (1937), Jim Little (1945), Dick Hensley (1949), Jim Mackenzie (1952), Dick Moloney (1956), Dave Roller (1971), Dan Fowler (1979), George Adams (1985), Andre’ Woodson (2008) and George Asafo-Adjei (2019).
