The Player
- Chop Robinson
- College: Penn State
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 254 lbs.
- Age: 21 (January 2, 2003)
- Arm: 32 ½”
- Hand: 9 ⅛”
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.48
- 10-Yard Split: 1.54
- Vertical Jump: 34.5″
- Broad Jump: 10′ 8″
- 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.25
High School
Chop Robinson is a native of Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he attended Quince Orchard High School. Robinson helped lead his team to a 25-2 record over his junior and senior seasons. It was an impressive stretch of football, including a 22-game win streak and a Class 4A State Championship as a junior. He achieved many accolades during high school, including breaking the school sack record (14) and being named an Under Armour All-American and All-Met selection. Robinson was rated as a five-star recruit by 247sports and ranked as the number one player in Maryland.
College
Robinson elected to stay close to home and commit to play for the Maryland Terrapins. He spent one year with Maryland, playing mostly in a rotational role. He totaled 19 tackles and two sacks as a freshman. The Maryland native decided to leave home and transferred to Penn State ahead of his sophomore season. During the pre-draft process, he spoke about how this move was strictly to help grow his football career; he would see the field right away for the Nittany Lions.
Robinson had his best year in college in 2022. In his first year with Penn State, he increased his games played, tackles, tackles for loss, and sacks. Robinson set a career-high with a two-sack game against his former team. The coaching staff change seemed to have a big impact on Robinson’s game, as he saw significant improvements. He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten and second-team All-Big Ten by Pro Football Focus.
The Penn State EDGE rusher didn’t finish his career as he had hoped, but he still greatly impacted the Nittany Lions. He was named to multiple award watch lists and was named a preseason second-team All-American. He collected 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks last season. Despite a production dip, he would declare for the NFL draft after the 2023 season.
Strengths
First Step
Stop me when you’ve heard this one before: Penn State pass rusher with an incredible first step. I’m only half kidding; while Robinson isn’t in the Micah Parsons tier, he does fit the mold of another freak athlete coming out of the Penn State program. Every year, we talk about a draft prospect from Penn State who shows out in a big way from an athletic testing perspective. Robinson is the next man up this year, and his speed jumps out right away. If his 4.48 40-yard dash wasn’t enough to prove that to you, let’s look at a few plays from the Penn State EDGE rusher.
The first step is phenomenal; there’s no other way to put it. He will make some NFL-level tackles, but it’s just a nightmare thinking about blocking him one-on-one.
Let’s take a look at the play above against Michigan. The get-off here is just unfair; he has the tackle at a disadvantage before the ball even makes it into the quarterback’s hands. Robinson’s speed and ability to dip and get around the end make him so effective. Although this particular play didn’t result in a sack, it was nearly a turnover for the defense. Robinson has the potential to make these plays consistently, which is why he is likely to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft.
Pass-Rush Versatility
The EDGE rushers in the NFL who produce the most fantasy points are the ones who can be equally effective with a speed and power rush. Robinson does both exceptionally well, so he’s so dynamic as a pass rusher. His speed, explosiveness, and motor make it seem like he’s never out of a play. Robinson can overwhelm blockers with pure power and use his quickness and elusiveness to find pass-rush lanes you wouldn’t think would be there.
The Penn State EDGE rusher uses beautiful footwork on this play, leading to a turnover for the Penn State defense. There’s not an offensive coordinator in college football who isn’t aware of Robinson’s ability to beat you around the end. Chop Robinson uses that to his advantage and jumps inside to split the guard and tackle with relative ease.
He blows this play up before it ever has a chance. Despite not getting the sack, he forces the quarterback into a no-win situation. One of his teammates forces a fumble, and Robinson’s relentless effort allows him to get back up and recover the football. Plays like this are effectively the hockey assist for EDGE rushers. We are always looking for splash plays for fantasy scoring purposes. For IDP managers, just knowing you have a player who can create chaos will lead to more opportunities for those fantasy points.
Speed Rush
It wouldn’t be fair to leave you without a true ‘chop’ from an EDGE rusher named Chop Robinson. This is the Penn State pass rusher lined up against the left tackle. He again uses that tremendous first step and unbelievable speed to create a big play. The tackle has little to no chance here, and the quarterback never sees this coming. Robinson can use minimal hand fighting to get around the end. He uses a big chop with his right hand to register a sack-fumble here for his defense. This is a thing of beauty, and it just shows why NFL general managers are excited about the chance to add him to their defensive front.
Development Opportunities
Needs Polishing
There’s no denying Robinson’s potential. His lack of production is concerning, especially if you want him to be a three-down player at the next level. Robinson brings so much raw ability to the table that this will hardly hold him back, but he will benefit greatly from some of the best position coaches the NFL offers.
I have very little doubt that he will improve from a consistent production standpoint when given the opportunity. To stay on the field, Robinson will need to silence some doubters regarding his gap control in run defending. He got away with using his athletic ability to chase down runs in college. However, we will need to see him use more fundamentals because of the talent gap at the next level. That will come with coaching, and I have very little doubt that a player this talented won’t be given many opportunities to show how effective he can be.
Landing Spot
The EDGE position in the NFL is crucial to a good defense and can cover up some mistakes from the back end of your defense. With athletic ability alone, Robinson will have many teams interested in the first round of the NFL draft. Having one player who can create mismatches for your defense gives you so much flexibility in disguising coverages and what blitz packages you can use. Robinson has the potential to be that type of player.
Three teams I’ve identified as potential fits for him are the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He would fit right in with most of these teams attempting to get younger along their defensive front. Robinson will also be a standup EDGE rusher in most of these schemes. That will make it much easier for him to use his natural ability to create pressure.
Fantasy Outlook
Assuming Robinson is drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, he will have opportunities immediately. It’s more likely he’s used as a situational pass rusher, but IDP managers shouldn’t mind, as he will at least be rotated in.
There are currently zero NFL teams that can afford to pass on a player with this type of upside, so I believe IDP managers should be fairly excited about the chances of him being startable as a rookie. It’s common to see rookie EDGE rushers make an impact and help contribute to your dynasty team. There are no guarantees here, but if this situation is correct, we could be looking at another solid pass rusher coming out of this 2024 NFL draft.
The Wrap-Up
The DL/EDGE position in the 2024 NFL draft could do wonders for IDP managers. We seemingly can’t ever have enough contributors at that position. This year’s draft offers the opportunity for four players to be picked for day one or early day two. We never know the impact of a draft class until the players play the game, but there’s some serious excitement about the boost to the DL position heading into next season.
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