Before the NFL Combine, there were questions about whether teams would spend a Day 1 or 2 pick on Penn State edge rusher Demeioun “Chop” Robinson. Those questions were answered in a positive manner at the Combine, and he was drafted in the first round (21st overall) Thursday night by the Miami Dolphins.
He is the third Penn State defensive player drafted in the first round under coach James Franklin.
Robinson (6-foot-3, 254 pounds) ran a 4.48 40-yard dash, second at the Combine for edge rushers, and a 1.54-second clocking in the 10-yard burst, one of the best times for a player of his size. His first step, potentially, can be problematic for any NFL offensive lineman trying to contain him.
Overall, Robinson showed good athleticism for a big man, recording 34 1/2 inches in the vertical jump and 10 feet, 8 inches in the broad jump.
During Penn State’s season, Robinson recorded 7 1/2 tackles for a loss, including four sacks, with five quarterback hurries, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.
Robinson is rated the No. 26 overall draft prospect by The Athletic and the No. 4 edge rusher behind Alabama’s Dallas Turner, Florida State’s Jared Verse and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, all of whom were drafted ahead of him.
With a given name of Demeioun Robinson, he weighed 14 pounds at birth, one of eight children to a Germantown, Md., family. His size earned him the nickname Pork Chop, shortened to Chop in middle school.
Jerry DiPaola is a TribLive reporter covering Pitt athletics since 2011. A Pittsburgh native, he joined the Trib in 1993, first as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department and later as the Pittsburgh Steelers reporter from 1994-2004. He can be reached at jdipaola@triblive.com.