Penn State once again has a plethora of talented NFL hopefuls in this year’s NFL draft, and perhaps their most talented is edge rusher [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag]. Robinson landed on Bruce Feldman’s freaks list for a reason, and his age (21) and tenacity have made him a very tantalizing prospect. Despite all of his physical gifts, however, his raw pass-rushing skill set, smaller frame (6’3″, 250), and average run defense make him a potential boom-or-bust prospect.
There are plenty of raw, freak athletes that have entered the NFL and developed into quality pass rushers. Some have even become elite players. The risk though is very real. One player who had a similar profile as Robinson coming out was Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter.
Hunter was a very young, raw player when he was selected in the third round out of LSU in 2015. Like Robinson is expected to do, he blew up the combine with a 4.57 40-yard dash and 25 reps in the bench press. Despite just 4.5 sacks in college, the Vikings saw enough to take a chance on him. 87.5 sacks and four Pro Bowls later, I would say they have gotten a good return on their investment.
Hunter is bigger (6’5″) and likely has better length than Robinson will. Still, they both relied on their physical gifts at the college level and needed significant development to become a consistent pass rusher. Hunter managed to do so very early into his pro career, racking up 18.5 sacks in his first two seasons. He fully broke out in years four and five, accumulating 29 sacks and earning his first two Pro Bowl nods.
Expecting Robinson to have the same start to his career as Hunter is probably a bit unfair, but considering his first-round hype it shouldn’t be. Daniel Jeremiah has him as a top-25 player, and Dane Brugler of the Athletic has him just outside of his. Despite the difference in where they will likely be drafted, players like Hunter are what teams who draft raw athletes at edge are hoping to get. Robinson certainly could be the next player to fit that mold and turn into a star, but the risk is real. Don’t be shocked if it takes him a while to make an impact at the next level.