Mel Kiper calls Chop Robinson a 'roll of the dice pick'

Mel Kiper believes the NFL team that selects Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson will be taking a big risk. Earlier this month, Kiper and Field Yates took part in a two-round mock draft on ESPN’s First Draft, and Kiper shared his thoughts on Robinson who had 11 sacks in his career.

“He could be over-drafted,” Kiper said. “It is one of those roll-of-the-dice picks. It’s a pass rusher who didn’t get sacks. Bottom line. And you’re talking about AOGs. If you haven’t heard it’s another occupation guys. …Where’s the production? Yeah, he had a couple games where he was all banged up.”

Kiper went on to mention former Penn State pass rusher, Jayson Oweh, had no sacks in his final year and only had seven sacks in three seasons. But the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the first round of the 2021 draft, and he hasn’t been a dominant rusher in his three seasons in the NFL.

“When you don’t see production in college, it bothers me,” Kiper explained. Because most of those guys in college are going to be, I say another occupation guys, they’re not going to be in the NFL. They’re gonna be doing something else.

“…If you can’t beat those guys, now you’re going to be asked to beat the best in the world, whether it be right tackle, left tackle, whatever you’re talking about for Chop Robinson, good luck. So this is a leap of faith based on talent.”

Chop Robinson can ‘create havoc’ in the NFL

Almost a week after Kiper talked about Robinson on First Draft, he released his fourth mock draft of the offseason and has him going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 26 overall. He wrote: “Robinson had 9.5 sacks over his final two college seasons, but his 18% pressure rate last season — which ranked sixth in the FBS — showed he can create havoc even if he doesn’t take down the quarterback.”

Before the start of the 2023 season, Penn State head coach James Franklin talked about Robinson’s growth. “He’s just so much bigger, stronger, and more explosive, both in the run game and the pass game,” Franklin said. “He’s playing really well, he’s confident.”

“How we used him last year was different than how he’d been used before. He’s doing really well academically,” continued Franklin. “He’s really thriving right now and I’m really proud of him. I think he’s going to have a huge year.”

On3’s Sam Gillenwater contributed to this report.