How Good is Keyshawn? Just Ask John Robinson

Don’t tell John Robinson that the New York Jets made a mistake by taking a wide receiver, Keyshawn Johnson, with the first pick in the NFL draft. . . .

“Like Ronnie Lott, Marcus Allen and Charles White, Keyshawn has the knack for making unusual plays at the most important times,” said Robinson, who coached Johnson during his two years at USC. “He also has the exuberance of Magic Johnson.” . . .

Last year, Trojan tackle Tony Boselli was the second player chosen in the draft. . . .

USC had back-to-back Nos. 1 in 1968 when Minnesota took tackle Ron Yary and 1969 when Buffalo took tailback O.J. Simpson. . . .

The biggest reason why the St. Louis Rams apparently fared so well in the first round was that they had the famous draft expert Georgia Frontiere working the phones in New York City. . . .

Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George was a steal at No. 14 for the Houston Oilers. . . .

The Nos. 2 and 3 choices overall were linebacker Kevin Hardy and defensive end Simeon Rice from Illinois, which was 5-5-1 and gave up 34 or more points three times last season. . . .

The Nos. 12 and 16 choices were defensive ends Regan Upshaw and Duane Clemons from California, which was 3-8 and gave up an average of 26 points last season. . . .

Five of the first 16 players taken were from the Pacific 10 Conference. . . .

Jimmy Johnson’s soundest move for the Miami Dolphins was taking UCLA tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar on the third round. . . .

Lawrence Phillips made a good impression during his interview with Hank Goldberg Sunday on ESPN. . . .

Consider yourself an NFL fanatic if you completed the marathon by watching every round on TV. . . .

Robinson said that Johnson’s replacement at USC, sophomore Billy Miller, was “spectacular” during spring practice that ended Saturday. . . .

The Trojans will be young in spots, but Robinson says the roster, top to bottom, is the most talented he has had during his second tenure as coach at USC. . . .

“Brad Otton is ready to take his place among the best four or five quarterbacks in the country,” Robinson said. “He was tall and skinny. He’s still tall.” . . .

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Upset of the week was the 2-1 game between the Angels and Detroit Tigers at Anaheim Stadium on Saturday night. Normally, their scores aren’t confused with those in soccer. . . .

If he doesn’t pitch again, Baltimore Oriole reserve infielder Manny Alexander, pressed into mound duty during the 26-7 loss at Texas on Friday night, will finish the season with a 67.5 earned-run average. . . .

Doc Gooden’s New York Yankee career might not last much longer than Darryl Strawberry’s. . . .

Kirby Puckett is headed to the Hall of Fame, whether or not he can rebound from his eye problem. The Minnesota Twins center fielder has a career batting average of .318. . . .

Biggest surprise in baseball is Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Paul Wagner, who is 3-0 with a league-leading 0.77 ERA. Last year, the category he led was losses with 16. . . .

A former Dodger off to a fast start is Henry Rodriguez of the Montreal Expos. . . .

Thumbs down on St. Louis Blues Coach Mike Keenan for suggesting the Toronto Maple Leafs hurt goaltender Grant Fuhr deliberately. . . .

As the Kings discovered three years ago, a hot Patrick Roy is capable of leading his team to a Stanley Cup title. . . .

On Saturday, the New York/New Jersey MetroStars’ soccer game at the Meadowlands outdrew the Met game at Shea Stadium, 46,826 to 20,847. . . .

Virgil Hill made the 19th successful defense of his World Boxing Assn. light-heavyweight title on Saturday when he decisioned Louis Del valle. Against tougher competition, Bob Foster defended his undisputed 175-pound title 14 times and Archie Moore eight. . . .

Oscar De La Hoya’s sparring sessions at Big Bear for his June 7 fight against Julio Cesar Chavez are so secretive these days that they are closed even to his publicist. . . .

I still can’t believe that Michael Jordan, of all people, was called for a foul in Chicago, of all places, with half a second left and the Bulls tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers. . . .

It would be unfair to make Arvydas Sabonis, 31, NBA rookie of the year over Damon Stoudamire, 23. There ought to be an age limit for that award. . . .

Just once, I would like to hear an NFL general manager say his team had a disappointing draft.