Which Chop Robinson Comp Is Legit?

Examining the similarities between Miami Dolphins first-round pick Chop Robinson and other NFL and former Miami pass rushers

Nov 5, 2022; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Chop Robinson (44) / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

Who is Chop Robinson? And who will he become in the NFL?

Is he Micah Parsons?

Is he Danielle Hunter?

Is he Charles Harris?

Is he Cameron Wake?

Yep, there are similarities between the Miami Dolphins' first-round pick and current NFL edge defenders as well as former Miami pass rushers.

But which is the most accurate comparison and could tell us the most about what to expect from Robinson in 2024 and beyond?

THE ROBINSON AND MICAH PARSONS COMPARISON

This one might be eye-opening considering Parsons is about the most explosive pass rusher in the game and a perennial contender for Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Yet that comparison was made on Robinson's NFL.com draft profile page, and Ross Tucker made the exact same comp on The Joe Rose Show on Friday morning.

What the two have in common along with both being Penn State products is rare athletic ability, though expecting Robinson to become that kind of impact NFL player is unfair.

Where it's tough to compare the two is that Parsons was more of a traditional linebacker at Penn State, so his low sack numbers (6.5 in two seasons) weren't as worrisome as those of Robinson (11.5 in three seasons).

THE ROBINSON AND DANIELLE HUNTER COMPARISON

Like Robinson, Hunter was a very athletic pass rusher in college without great sack numbers.

Hunter's production actually was much worse than Robinson's, as he recorded only 4.5 sacks over three seasons at LSU.

But Hunter eclipse that total in his first NFL season alone when he had six sacks playing mostly in a reserve role. Since that 2015 season, Hunter has produced double-digit sacks five times, including a career-high 16.5 last season.

GM Chris Grier referenced Hunter when he was asked after Round 1 about Robinson's lack of sacks at Penn State.

"For us, working through the analytics, watching him and what he does and contributes, the guy that comes to mind for me would be Danielle Hunter had four career sacks coming out of college, and he’s become a really good player in this league," Grier said. "I’m not putting that pressure on him to be Danielle Hunter, but it’s not just him; there are other players throughout the league that if you look at what their college numbers are compared to how they’ve had success in the pros — we think a lot of traits and the things you see on film translate."

While they both are around the 255-pound mark, one big difference is that Hunter was drafted in the third round, so projecting his development as a pass rusher wasn't as big of a gamble.

THE ROBINSON AND CHARLES HARRIS COMPARISON

Robinson's physical dimensions also are very similar to those of Charles Harris, who not only was a Dolphins first-round pick but also was taken in almost the same spot — 21 for Robinson, 22 for Harris.

So, naturally, some Dolphins fans might have flashbacks given how forgettable Harris' time in Miami was.

But there are two very big differences.

The first is that Harris had some success as a pass rusher at Missouri with 16 sacks over his final two seasons. So maybe he was drafted more based on production.

The most important difference, though, is that Robinson is a much better athlete.

Harris earned a 57 athleticism score, which ranked 30th among outside linebackers/edge defenders in 2017 and he ran an unimpressive 4.82 in the 40-yard dash at the combine.

Robinson ran a 4.48 in the 40 at the combine and his athleticism score was 84, good for third among edge defenders.

THE ROBINSON AND CAMERON WAKE COMPARISON

Finally, we get to another Penn State product, one who became the Dolphins' best player in the 2010s.

The two have very similar body types, and the way Robinson can get around the corner based on his college tape looks a lot like what Wake did for the Dolphins. Robinson is a little bit faster than Wake (4.55 at the his Pro Day).

But Dolphins fans should know by now that Wake was a late bloomer after putting up pedestrian numbers at Penn State, where he was used as both a linebacker and a defensive end.

Known as Derek Wake then, he wasn't even drafted coming out for the 2005 NFL draft, but then became a star when he went to the Canadian Football League and put together an impressive career after the Dolphins signed him.

The big difference is that Robinson is a much more highly touted prospect coming out of college.

THE VERDICT

So what's the best comp for Robinson.

By process of elimination, we can probably erase Harris immediately because Robinson has so much more natural athleticism.

The Parsons comp might be tough to endorse because Robinson's lack of sack numbers in college weren't nearly as much a product of how he was used as that of the Dallas Cowboys star.

The Wake comparison is interesting, but it applies more to what Wake became than what he was as a prospect.

That leaves us with Danielle Hunter, and besides the fact they were selected in different rounds, there's a lot of similarities there.

And it's probably because of Hunter's eventual success that the Dolphins felt comfortable drafting Robinson a lot earlier than the Vikings drafted Hunter. Considering Hunter's success, the Dolphins would be ecstatic if their new first-round pick could come even close to getting what the Vikings got over the past nine seasons.