NEWSLETTER
Chop Robinson is more than a cool name.
He was also a productive edge defender for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
And, today, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reports that Chop Robinson is visiting with the Chicago Bears — today. That’s fun.
While rattling off a list of NFL Draft prospects visiting teams throughout the league, Rapoport name-checked Robinson as taking a visit to Halas Hall today. The Penn State product becomes the latest edge defender connected with the Bears in the pre-draft process. Robinson joins UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, Alabama’s Dallas Turner, and Florida State’s Jared Verse as projected first-round defensive linemen who have made (or will make) a visit to Chicago. We’ve discussed the Bears’ defensive end needs at a few different points this offseason. And while I’d be comfortable with a rotation of DeMarcus Walker and a player to be named later, drafting an edge defender to start opposite of Montez Sweat interests me.
Who is Chop Robinson and why are the Chicago Bears hosting him for a top-30 visit?
Robinson’s 2023 stats don’t necessarily jump off the page and “wow” you. In his final season in Happy Valley, Chop Robinson picked up 4 sacks, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. The year before that, he snagged 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles-for-loss to go along with a forced fumble and fumble recovery. Despite not posting gaudy numbers in the sack department, Robinson still gets ample first-round buzz. And I suppose with good reason.
For what it’s worth, Robinson was a standout performer at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds, which is a time you’d expect from a running back, wide receiver, or defensive back. Chop Robinson also had a 34.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump that measured 10 feet and 8 inches. Plus, this athletic score via Math Bomb is eye-opening:
And if that isn’t enough, the analysis from NFL Draft guru Lance Zierlein includes a Micah Parsons comp on Chop Robinson. Yeah, that stopped me in my tracks, too. Here’s the skinny:
Edge defender who offers the type of elite athleticism we’ve seen from players like Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. Robinson might not be as fast as Parsons, but he’s close. He’s ultra-twitchy with the explosiveness to get on top of blockers and overwhelm them in an instant. However, he will need to level up his hand skills and attack angles to reach his potential against NFL tackles. Robinson’s electric athletic traits alone should give him a floor as a good NFL starter. If he crafts a rush approach and learns to string moves/counters together, he could reach his ceiling as a destructive force capable of forcing teams to game plan around him.
It doesn’t take me reaching into the deepest parts of my imagination to envision NFL coaches drooling at the prospect of getting their hands on Robinson, unlocking that athleticism, and turning it into on-the-field production. Of course, doing that is easier said than done. Players who don’t live up to what their incredible athleticism promises are a dime a dozen. But that shouldn’t stop a team with a need at the position (you know, like the Bears) from taking a chance on Robinson.
With that being said, I struggle to envision Chop Robinson being Chicago’s choice at No. 9. There are too many other alternative options who will be available with the ninth pick for the Bears to land on Robinson in that spot. For instance, Dallas Turner (Alabama) and Jared Verse (Florida State) are two edge defenders who are more likely to be taken with the No. 9 pick. We could probably add Laiatu Latu (UCLA) to that group, too. Patrick has Latu lumped into the mix of possible Bears targets.
All things considered, it seems if Chop Robinson is a clear tier below that trio of defensive end types for the Bears. However, that wouldn’t keep me from targeting Robinson with a pick later in Round 1 if the team decided to trade out of the ninth pick and move down the board. In the end, I’ll keep his name in mind as someone GM Ryan Poles could have an eye on depending on how the board shakes out before his Bears go on the clock with the ninth pick.
