Brock’s Hawks Draft Profile: Trade-back target on the edge

Apr 23, 2024, 5:16 PM

Chop Robinson of the Penn State Nittany Lions during a 2023 game. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

(Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

There’s many positions of need to point to for the Seattle Seahawks in the upcoming NFL Draft, which begins with the first round Thursday and runs through Saturday.

Former NFL GM: Seattle Seahawks ‘sleepers’ to draft QB

The Seahawks need help on the interior of the offensive line, they need depth on the defensive line and in the pass rush, and they need an off-ball linebacker, safety and tight end to groom for the future. Heck, they’re probably also in a good spot to swing at a quarterback with Geno Smith and Sam Howell around to keep the pressure off for at least a season. It seems unfathomable that Seattle could address all those needs while holding just two of the first 100 picks in the draft.

So, could Seattle address one of their needs with an impact player in the first round while also still gaining more chances to address other needs? Former NFL quarterback and FOX college football analyst Brock Huard thinks so. If the Seahawks trade back from their first-round pick at No. 16 overall, Huard highlighted an impactful edge rusher the team could still get in the 20s. That player is 6-foot-3, 254-pound Penn State product Chop Robinson.

“(ESPN analyst and former NFL defensive lineman) Booger McFarland said Chop Robinson is a Baltimore Raven. If Chop Robinson is a Baltimore Raven, you know what else Chop Robinson is? A Seattle Seahawk,” Huard said. “I did not see Chop in person this year with Penn State … but, man, did his coaches love him.”

Huard also pointed out that Robinson’s former coaches at Maryland, where he played his first college season, had nothing but good things to say about the pass rusher.

“Usually when somebody transfers and leaves, you can kind of read the tea leaves a little bit,” Huard said, “and if the dude was kind of a turd that needed to be flushed, they’re happy about flushing that out. That was not the case.”

Robinson had a solid three-year college career, totaling 20 tackles for loss and 11 1/2 sacks over 30 games. He earned third-team Associated Press All-America and first-team All-Big Ten selections this past season, despite missing two games.

However, what stands out most about Robinson is his traits, Huard said. At the scouting combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds with a 1.45-second 10-yard split. He also posted a 34 1/2-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-8-inch broad jump. Robinson’s 40 ranked second and 10-yard split and broad jump tied for first among edge rushers at the combine. As you can see in the video below, Robinson’s speed stacks up well against some recent talented edge rushers to come through draft.

That's pretty good company for Chop Robinson. 😳

📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/bbuzS4vAkf

— NFL (@NFL) February 29, 2024

“He is a dynamic, lightning-quick, violent, physical dude,” Huard said. “(The Seahawks have recently picked Boye) Mafe, (Darrell) Taylor and I know you took (Derick) Hall early in the second round last year, but this guy’s just got a different gear.”

Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about Robinson is when he could still be available for Seattle. Huard firmly believes the Seahawks could add more draft capital by trading back into the 20s and still land Robinson, who was one of the team’s 30 pre-draft visits.

“This is a traits one,” Huard said. “There’s a reason he visited, and if he’s there in the late 20s, there is one dynamic athlete coming to Seattle.”