5 Round 1 draft prospects who could warm up chilly Rams reception in 2024

Prospect 2: Penn State Edge Chop Robinson

The narrative around Penn State outside linebacker Chop Robinson is 'Boom or Bust,' and that seems to be more like a Day 2 prospect than one selected on Day 1. The trick is to optimize his boom, and mitigate his bust. Can the team pull that off?

Yes. Yes they can.

The truth of the matter is that Chop Robinson possesses all of the chaotic and unstoppable traits that make an outside linebacker incredibly effective at the position, but simply did not have the results that you might expect from his college career. How can that be? Curiously, Rams fans can relate to Chop Robinson's plight. You see, he was so good on the Penn State Nittany Lions defense that teams had an offensive game plan to succeed in spite of him.

Quarterbacks knew that he would be coming, and simply moved in the pocket and threw the ball away if he got too close. Similar tales describe how DT Aaron Donald did not emerge from each NFL game with multiple sacks. And yet, we all agree that his presence changed the game. So too, Chop Robinson has that ability to become such a terrifying pass rusher that offenses will plan to stop him.

Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 254 pounds, Robinson will make plans to neutralize him very difficult. After all, he is a passionate player who loves to tackle, split double teams, and ruin the afternoons of opposing quarterbacks. While his college production was a bit light (15 tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, and 4.0 quarterback sacks), keep in mind that offenses steered their offense away from Robinson.

NFL offenses will test him, particularly in his rookie season, and that is when the fun begins for Rams fans. He can bend like Gumby, pivot on a dime to round the corner, has the ability to cause chaos like the Tasmanian Devil, and competes on every play, up to the whistle.

Chop Robinson in this defense will free up other young stars like Michael Hoecht, Ernest Jones, Byron Young, and even Kobie Turner. Sometimes it's not just what that player brings himself, but what he adds to the overall defense that makes him an ideal selection.