Could more pass rush help be on the way to Tampa Bay?

It is no secret that the Bucs need to address their pass rush this offseason and so far, they haven’t exactly done that. In fact, they actually released one of their top pass rushers in Shaq Barrett to save some cap space.

Still searching for answers on ways to get to the quarterback, they may have to look to the NFL draft for their solution. That is where Penn State’s Chop Robinson could come into the fold and provide some serious juice to Tampa Bay’s pass rush.

Chop Robinson’s Collegiate Career

The 6’3, 250 pound pass rusher started his career at the University of Maryland before transferring to Penn State after the 2021 season. During his time at PSU, he developed into a solid player. He finished his final season at Penn State with 15 tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles.

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The one thing that is concerning about Robinson is the lack of sack production in college. In his three years of playing college football, his career high in sacks for a single season is 5.5 and he had 11.5 total sacks over the span of three seasons. Robinson is a player that teams may look at trying to develop more as a pass rusher and build upon a successful college career.

Pro Day and Scouting Combine

Robinson participated in the combine and ran a 4.48 second 40 yard dash, a 1.54 second 10 yard split, a 2.60 second 20 yard split and a 4.25 second 20 yard shuttle. He also recorded a 34.5 inch vertical jump as well as a 10 foot, 8 inch broad jump.

The defensive standout participated in the Penn State pro day and recorded a 7.06 second three cone drill.

What Robinson Can Do For The Bucs In 2024

Chop Robinson can come in and immediately provide value for Tampa Bay when it comes to rushing the passer. He is far from a finished product, but adding Robinson would provide a spark to pass rush room that desperately needs it.

Pairing Robinson with Yaya Diaby for 2024 could be a nice one-two punch. The Bucs need depth at edge rusher and Robinson would be coming into a spot where his presence is certainly welcomed. He would have an established role right away in Tampa Bay as he continues to develop as a player.

Three-Year-Outlook

This is the exciting, but risky part about drafting Robinson. He has the athletic profile and agility to become one of the better pass rushers in the NFL in three year’s time. Robinson has 10+ sack potential on a yearly basis, but potential is the key word.

As mentioned earlier, the lack of production in college when it comes to sacking the quarterback is something to note. A lot of the time when guys aren’t productive in college, that won’t change when they go up against NFL talent. If Robinson can get drafted to the right place and get the right coaching along the way, he is definitely worth the risk.

If Robinson were to pan out, the Bucs could be looking at a very powerful pass rush duo of Robinson and Diaby which could terrorize opposing QBs for years to come.

Stock Report

Right now, Robinson appears to be a late first/early second round pick and has even been mocked to the Bucs in a few mock drafts. It seems likely that Robinson will remain in that draft range and that is right where the Bucs have landed so it is certainly a logical spot for the standout pass rusher.

On the Clock…

Now it’s time for you to make the call! Should the Bucs target Chop Robinson in the NFL draft this spring? Vote in the poll and let us know in the comments section below!