Penn State has a lot of players that will be drafted to the NFL next month.
The team had a program-record 10 players invited to this year’s NFL Combine, and it’s a good bet that most, if not all, will hear their name called at some point during the Draft.
But of those players, only one of them seems to be a slam-dunk first round pick.
That’s left tackle Olu Fashanu, who many feel will go in the top 10.
The next closet player Penn State has to a sure fire first-rounder is defensive end Chop Robinson.
Robinson is what’s known as a “fringe first-round pick. Some outlets have him in the first round, others don’t. There’s plenty of things to like about Robinson, such as his speed— which he showcased at the NFL Combine, running the fastest 40-yard dash of anybody at his position at 4.48. But as they do with pretty much any prospect, analysts point out Robinson’s flaws. The primary concern seems to be how Robinson’s 6-foot-3, 254-pound build will translate to the NFL.
To be a star in the NFL, Robinson will need confidence, and when asked at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday if he sees himself as a first-round talent, he said he feels he “100 percent” is.
“I’m a guy who shows up every single day,” Robinson said. “I give everything I have, and I’m consistent with everything I do. I have the best get-off and the best bend. You can’t teach that.”
32 players will be selected in the first-round. ESPN has Robinson ranked as the No. 26 overall prospect.
So it could go either way.
A small reason Robinson would want to be a first-round pick is that, if he’s invited, he will attend the draft in person.
Regardless of where and when he goes, Robinson believes in what he can do.
“I know what type of player I am,” Robinson said. “Wherever I end up, first, second, third or fourth round, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m going to be the same player regardless.”
