Penn State tight end Theo Johnson is 'on the rise' and NFL Combine will be big for Chop Robinson, draft analyst says
Theo Johnson benefitted from being at the Senior Bowl earlier this month as much as, if not more, than any other player in attendance. The former Penn State All-Big Ten selection was named the National team tight end of the week after a strong performance in Mobile, Ala., that has him shooting up media, and undoubtedly NFL, draft boards two months before the pro selection process takes place.
“Theo Johnson is on the rise, definitely,” ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller said on a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. “I think there’s a good chance he’s the third tight end drafted just because there’s such an appetite for Y tight end, who’s that kind of big, nasty inline tight end who does a great job in the middle of the field.
“No, you’re not flexing them out and asking them to play wide receiver. But they’re super reliable players. So, I do think that his stock is on the rise.”
Johnson caught 77 passes for 938 yards and 12 touchdowns in blue and white. Being the third tight end off the board would likely have him going in Round 3 on Day 2. But, going higher is possible, as is slipping into the early part of Round 4 on Day 3. We’ll know more after the NFL Combine. Johnson is one of 10 former Penn State players set to attend the four-day event in Indianapolis next week.
Combine will be big for Penn State end Chop Robinson
Chop Robinson, who left Penn State after two seasons, had a very good career in blue and white. But, as he gets ready for the pros, Miller is questioning how big the defensive end is, which will make his measurables at the Combine something worth watching closely. With the Lions, his most recent listing was 6-foot-3, 254 pounds.
“My biggest thing is going to be size,” Miller said. “Size and strength. I didn’t feel like he played with great strength, especially in the run gam,e at Penn State. He’s listed at 250 pounds. He does not look 250 pounds. I think next week [at the NFL Combine] is going to big for, ‘OK, are you 6-foot-3, 250? Or are you 6-2, 235? Where’s the actual size at?
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“Because, that might sound like a small, factor, but you’re looking how much bigger can this player get? How are they going to produce against the run if they’re sub 250 pounds and they’ve got short arms, how are we going to ask them to set the edge? So I think that’s where we’re at right now.”
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The answer came in response to a question about Robinson falling down toward the back end of Round 1 in many media mock drafts, which is a suggestion that he may not be the day one lock many thought he was late last year and earlier this year. Miller, however, said he’s always had him in the Day 2 range.
“I think this time of year is big on correcting almost,” Miller said. I’ve never had the top 20 grades on Chop Robinson. I think he’s somewhere right around 45 to 50 for me. As people in the media talk to more people with teams or as we have time to catch up and watch more tape of individual players instead of actual teams, you start to formulate some of those more defined opinions on players.
“If I had to guess, that’s why you see him starting to drop a little bit in rankings and mock drafts. But, for me, he’s been kind of consistently in that 40 to 50 range for a while.”
