Name: Chop Robinson

School: Penn State

Year: Junior

Position: Defensive End

Measurables: 6’2 ⅔”, 247 lbs. (Combine Measurements)

Combine: ARM: 32 ½”. HAND: 9.125”. VERTICAL: 34.5”. BROAD: 10’8”. 40-YD DASH: 4.48. 10-YD SPLIT: 1.53. 20-YD SHUTTLE: 4.25

Stats:

Courtesy of Sports-Reference.com

General Info:

A Maryland native, Robinson attended Quince Orchard High School, before committing to the University of Maryland to play his college ball.

Coming out of high school Robinson was a consensus four-star recruit, ranked by 247Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals. He was ranked as the top player in his state and the number 35 prospect in the nation by ESPN.

He played just one season for the Terrapins, appearing in 13 games, with one start, notching two sacks, nine quarterback hurries and 14 tackles. Robinson was named as an ESPN Mid season True Freshman All-American during his lone campaign with Maryland.

After transferring to Penn State in 2022, Robinson appeared in 12 games during his first season, but did not start. He tallied five sacks, 34 pressures and 16 tackles on the way to an All-Big Ten honorable mention and a being named to the Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten second team.

Robinson took on a larger role in the defense the following year, starting all ten games he played in, managing three sacks, 18 hurries and ten tackles. He earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2023.

Born Demeioun Robinson, “Chop” has seven siblings. He was given the nickname “Pork Chop” at birth, later shortening it.

Positional Skills:

Strengths

First things first, Robinson has a wicked first step and absolutely explodes off the snap. He has real juice and the athleticism he shows on tape was backed up by his performance at the scouting combine.

The Nittany Lion achieved a 9.72 Relative Athletic   Score (RAS) out of a possible 10, including an ‘elite’ speed score and a ‘great’ explosion score. Once Chop engages with the offensive tackle, he has multiple ways to use that athleticism to win.

Robinson converts speed to power and knocks opponents back on contact. When rushing from the interior, he shows the ability to bull rush linemen into the quarterback, and his tenacity and strength makes it difficult for double teams to stop him generating push or squeezing his way through.

He has the speed to get around the edge and the quickness to beat guards inside, as well as a couple of ways to win with his hands. Robinson can swipe a tackle’s hands away as he attacks the corner, and can be effective with a rip move.

The explosiveness Robinson possesses makes him dangerous on stunts, starting inside and getting around the corner, and he has the bend to get back to the quarterback.

Against the run, Robinson has shown he is capable of setting the edge and doing his part. He plays with a relentless effort which is fun to watch.

Weaknesses

The biggest knock on Robinson is his lack of production. Ten sacks in his two seasons with Penn State is nothing to shout about. Sometimes he can struggle to finish, and while the bend is there, there are instances where he is close but cannot quite make the play.

He still needs to develop more ways to consistently win with his hands, rather than just relying on his athleticism.

On the run defense side, the absence of production is again a criticism that can be levied at Robinson. He only had 26 tackles in two years at Penn State, and while the effort is there, he needs to find the ball and make more of an impact.

Part of the issue is his tendency to rush upfield, which can leave rushing lanes open. The other problem is his size. He is a smaller defensive end, and received a ‘poor’ RAS grade for size.

Fit with the Packers:

Overall, Robinson is an electric edge rusher with a great blend of juice, speed, power and effort. Teams can always use more of those, and he would bring something different to Green Bay’s defense.

Whether he actually fits what the Packers like at the EDGE position is a different matter. He is shorter than any pass rusher Brian Gutekunst has drafted, but is taller than Nick Perry, who Ted Thompson picked in the first round.

Would Gutekunst spend a first round pick on a pass rusher two years in a row? He will probably have to in order to get Robinson, and it seems unlikely that he would do that, even with Preston Smith’s future beyond 2024 in question and Kingsley Enagbare recovering from an ACL injury.

It would be quite a surprise if the Packers picked Robinson, but a pleasant one.

VIDEO: