PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) – The 2021 NFL Draft begins on Thursday and one player hoping to hear his name called is Bay High alum and former Florida State defensive end Janarius Robinson.

“This is something that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a little kid, so you know, I put in the hard work and the dedication and you know this week it’s time to reap the benefits, and I’m just taking it all in and can’t be more grateful for this opportunity,” Robinson said.

Robinson will soon find out where the next chapter of his football career will take place and while there was no NFL Combine this year, he showed out at the Noles Pro Day and put many NFL teams on notice.

“Pro day was a great opportunity for me to you know just go out there and show my athleticism and my ability to do certain things and certain drills, and you know I went out there and took advantage of the opportunity that I had in front of all 32 teams. Didn’t have a combine this year so, pro day was my only shot and I feel like I did a great job taking advantage of the opportunity that I had,” Robinson said.

Current Mock NFL Drafts have Robinson going somewhere between the third and sixth rounds, but he’s confident that he could go sooner than that.

“I feel like I’m a first round talent, you know, not too many people in this edge class bring the same versatility that I do to the table so, like you said, I could go in any round and I’ll be grateful for the opportunity and you know whatever organizations decides to give me that shot I’m going to take full advantage of it,” Robinson said.

After all his success at Florida State, Robinson still remembers his roots in Panama City and hopes to be able to influence the younger generations in the community that grew up in.

“A lot of kids look up to me in this community, and we all went through some of the same type trials and tribulations and things in our lives, so I just want to be that motivation to this community to keep pushing through adversity, and you know, put your best foot forward everyday to reach your hopes and dreams that you have and your aspirations,” Robinson said.

The NFL Draft begins Thursday night and you can watch it on News 13.