Bears News: Edge rusher Chop Robinson visits Halas Hall |
There are not only a lot of intriguing players in this year's upcoming NFL Draft but also some interesting and, should we say, some fun names. Kool-Aid Mckinstry stands alone at the top of the list, but a very close second comes Chop Robinson. Not only is Chop a cool name, but Robinson is a great player and one of the standout EDGE rushers in this year's class, as he has taken a visit to Halas Hall.
You are seeing many prospects take visits to Chicago right now, but most of that is because the team is allowed to bring in 30 prospects for a visit. Most of the time, nothing will ever come from it, but for a guy as talented as Robinson, keep an eye on him and the Bears. The Bears could use their No. 9 pick or trade back and grab him later in the draft. The former Penn State stud isn't the only EDGE rusher to visit Chicago. He joins fellow first-round talents Jared Verse, Dallas Turner, and Laiatu Latu as players who the Bears not only brought in for interviews but appear very interested in drafting at No. 9 overall. Considering how the defensive line, particularly the pass rush, remains an area of need for this team, Robinson is a great fit for Chicago should they see the fit at No. 9. Despite being one of the leaders of the Nittany Lions defense, his stats won't wow you, as the 2023 season was less than appealing for him. Robinson finished the season with four sacks and 7.5 tackles for a loss while forcing and recovering a fumble. 2022 was a slightly better year for Robinson, as he came away with 10 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks, all while forcing and recovering a fumble. Numbers like that don't scream first round talent, but there is plenty of raw skill that comes with Robinson that has teams drooling over his ability. 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. He also had a 34.5-inch vertical jump and a broad jump that measured 10 feet and 8 inches and scored one of the highest overall math scores since that test began in 1983. In other words, Robinson is not only a freakishly athletic player but a brilliant individual. If those numbers he posted aren't enough for you, look at what Draft expert Lance Zierlein had to say about what Robinson can bring to the table. Robinson is an edge defender who offers the 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 instantly. However, he must 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. No one is saying he will be the next Parsons or Garrett, but to be mentioned in the same sentence with those guys is worth noting. Should he even come close to playing at their level, this defense will go from borderline great to elite and quickly become a unit no one wants to face. Should any team be able to unlock his full potential as a player, it will be a scary thought, as he has the potential to be the best of all the defensive players taken this year. Taking him with the No. 9 overall pick would be a bit of a reach, but grabbing him later in the first round wouldn't. That is why the No. 9 pick is crucial to the Bears' overall success. They have the ammunition to pick twice in the top 10 and trade back and acquire more picks down the road. Should they do that and add Robinson to the process, it would be a massive win for Ryan Poles and the rest of the Bears organization.
