NFL Draft: What Penn State's Chop Robinson Brings to the Miami Dolphins

The Nittany Lions edge rusher delivers burst, bend and a desire to learn as a first-round pick for the Dolphins.

Penn State defensive end Chop Robinson runs through the three-cone drill during Penn State's Pro Day at Holuba Hall in State College. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State's Chop Robinson always had the burst and bend. He needed the punch. Guided by a first-year position coach, Robinson developed that last season with the Nittany Lions and will bring his upgraded handfighting skills to the Miami Dolphins.

The Dolphins selected the Penn State edge rusher with the 21st overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, making Robinson the second Nittany Lion first-rounder in this draft and the 42nd overall. This marked the second draft in four years that Penn State has produced two first-rounders. Of course, one of them had to be a defensive lineman. Since 2000, half of Penn State's 16 first-round picks have been defensive linemen. Robinson could be a great one.

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Robinson was a first-team All-Big Ten end last season after making four sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. Though his sack numbers weren't prolific, Robinson earned a reputation as one of the Big Ten's most disruptive players. He made 50 percent of his tackles behind the line of scrimmage and recorded 16 quarterback hurries. Robinson upgraded that play with his punch.

A former linebacker at Maryland, Robinson transferred to Penn State largely because he wanted to play end, a position at which the Nittany Lions projected him. Robinson played in a rotation in 2022, making 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks in a strong first season. After that, Robinson worked with Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes to upgrade his punch and handfighting game to compete with 300-pound Big Ten offensive linemen.

“When I first got here, I felt like I wasn’t good at it, and I was getting frustrated,” Robinson said. “But coach Barnes told me that if you work on something every single day and you get 1 percent better, eventually you’ll get there. So that’s been my mindset for everything.”

Robinson took apart the NFL Scouting Combine, running a time of 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash, the second-fastest among edge rushers. Robinson also tied for the fastest 10-yard split time (1.54 seconds) to underscore his explosiveness off the snap. Robinson said that burst and his ability to contort his body are his top traits.

"When you’re so explosive and you get off the ball, especially with a guy like me, a lot of offensive linemen wouldn’t be thinking about speed to power," Robinson said. "So when they see me getting off the ball, they’re just assuming I’m trying to work the edge. So once they give me their chest, I’m going to stay low and put my power through their chest."

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Barnes became Penn State's defensive line coach in 2023 but had worked with Robinson for a year as a graduate assistant. The two bonded over technique and training, a space Barnes occupies almost completely. Barnes called Robinson a "conscientious, self-aware player" who took his handfighting training personally.

Robinson has some work to do. As The Athletic's Dane Brugler noted in his NFL Draft guide, the defensive end "doesn't have ideal armor on his frame" and needs a power upgrade to develop a bull rush. Robinson's speed will serve him well, but NFL tackles quickly will find ways to steer him aside. But as Barnes said, Robinson is willing to learn.

“He’s that kid you don’t have to yell at,” Barnes said. “If he feels like he’s disappointing you, he’ll feel bad about it and try his best to be able to execute. He’s a kid who understands his flaws at times and he’ll work on those things before or after practice, in the film room, and do whatever he needs to do to fix those flaws."

One more great thing about Robinson. Most people know the inspiration for his nickname. He weighed 14 pounds at birth, his mom called him "Pork chop" and Robinson shortened that as he got older. But did you know that Robinson leveraged the nickname for an NIL deal at Penn State? Last season, Robinson became a pork-chop pitchman for the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council.

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.