Chop Robinson And Xavier Worthy
April 9th, 2024
Not Worthy of a first-round pick.
There are two types of NFL combines. One is rarely if ever caught on camera: backroom deals in watering holes and off-the-record intel during discussions over shrimp cocktails and steaks.
The other is a vapid, waste of electricity Joe calls “Combine: The TV Show,” where players participate in a glorified indoor track practice while NFL general managers and coaches (the ones that actually attend) fight to stay awake.
Noted college football scribe Bruce Feldman of The Athletic wrote a masterpiece of a feature about the real combine while he tailed NFL Network’s Peter Schrager for two days (and nights) this winter.
That’s the real combine, not the stuff televised on NFL Network with Rich Eisen acting like he’s calling a boring as hell golf match (sorry to be redundant), trying to get excited while whispering about some dude running a 40-yard dash.
Was the guy running the 40 trying to avoid linebackers? Trying to get separation from corners? Trying to get past a hit at the line? Of course not.
Joe brings this all up after NFL.com humorist (?) Adam Rank decided to make a mock draft (Help! Joe is nearly done with mock drafts and it’s not yet two weeks from the draft).
For the Bucs, Rank was about to suggest the Bucs draft Texas speedster receiver and combine warrior Xavier Worthy. This guy Worthy is fast, but he’s not a great receiver. And most dudes who dominate the 40 at the combine are terrible NFL players. (Google is your friend.)
Instead of drafting Worthy, at the last second Rank suggested the Bucs select Chop Robinson, the edge rusher from Penn State.
I was about to say WR Xavier Worthy should be the pick here, but upon further thought, Trey Palmer showed enough in his rookie season to continuing playing the burner role. And with Shaq Barrett gone, you need to find somebody who can rush the quarterback. I’d be happy if you landed Robinson in this spot.
Joe has concerns about Robinson. Shouldn’t a first-round draft pick of a pass rusher have more than four sacks as a junior? And half of those sacks came against a slappy team like UMess. Facing children. Really?
From what Joe has seen of Robinson, he seems like a Gerald McCoy clone in the sense that GMC was a disruptor. He was not a sack artist.
Robinson, from what Joe has seen, gets past his blocks well but that’s it. He doesn’t finish. Robinson seems to be a wet dream for the pressures-are-more-important-than-sacks rabble.
If UCLA beast Laiatu Latu is not available and Robinson is the best edge rusher on the board, “this Joe” would rather the Bucs draft corner Kool-Aid McKinstry and take a chance in the second round on edge rushers Utah’s Jonah Elliss or Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland.
A dude who only had two sacks in an entire season against B1G teams is a major red flag.
Xavier Worthy visited the Bears pic.twitter.com/HVUVgp51M5 https://t.co/4OZUO8yty2
— As a Former NFL Agent (@TommyK_NFLDraft) April 8, 2024
April 9th, 2024 at 12:18 am
Where would Kool aid(really) play?
You put Dean on the Bench? Zyon, who has better stats? Does he play the slot, and we bench the talented Christian Izien?
Another wasted pick.
And like most Alabama players- he is going to translate to a safety more than a CB. Bama likes to play LBers at Safety, and safeties at CB.
So meybe we draft koolaide, and set Winfield or whitehead.
We draft one of the following- which ever one has the highest guy on the board when we pick
Either a Guard, a Center, a pass rushing Lber, or a pass rushing DE.
Those are the 4 spots that desperately need new starters.
Picks 1,2,3A, and 3B should be spent on getting 4 potential starters
Every other position you could draft would be for depth.
The only other Position that might be an immediate need is TE, but Im hoping Otten and Durham get their at together this year. Still need to spend a 4th rd pick on a blocking TE
April 9th, 2024 at 12:58 am
Trade down for a Big Interior Ugly.
Football at all levels is won on the LOS…
April 9th, 2024 at 2:07 am
nope
April 9th, 2024 at 2:10 am
I know the Joe that wrote this is a “production” guy, and that’s why he’s down on Chop Robinson. I agree, I am too. The thing I fail to understand is why Joe is high on this Kool-Aid character, who only had 2 interceptions in 3 years. Is that considered productive?
April 9th, 2024 at 2:32 am
We already have a disruptor in JTS.
April 9th, 2024 at 4:31 am
This article came at the perfect time.
Last night I watched a ESPN NFL Rookie segment and Latu and Chop were both on it. Also on the show were wide receiver Malik Nabers and cornerback Terrion Arnold. All seemed like really good guys with their own strengths. They also talked very briefly about Latu’s neck injury.
I agree with Joe about Chop. A lot of hype but the data isn’t strong. He has met with the Saints. Also agree to wait and maybe get Xavier Worthy, who met with the Bears yesterday.
April 9th, 2024 at 5:17 am
Chop may turn out to be a great pass rusher, but I hope the Bucs don’t take the risk picking him at #26. Seems too much like JTS. The Bucs need an impact player who can start. This could be OL.
April 9th, 2024 at 6:22 am
That cb wouldn’t play ANYWHERE this year other than special teams. I doubt maybe rookie CB’s start anyhow
April 9th, 2024 at 6:55 am
Chop Robinson reminds me of JTS. We don’t need to draft another pass rushing experiment in the first round.
April 9th, 2024 at 7:29 am
Hell no to Chop!
Yes to Kneeland in the 2nd!
Better yet – if Latu falls to #20 – GO GET HIM!
Latu is easily the best pure pass rusher in this draft. It would be a major score to land him at 20 or later – especially since Edge is one of our biggest needs this year.
April 9th, 2024 at 7:52 am
I think you are fighting aganst reality and now slowly realizing your logical side is winning
Theres only two edges in this draft worthy of first round and it woud be a miracle to get either of them, We are not selecting an edge at 26
so it very well coudl be center which you hate. For now you will fight the fight with CB but its nowhere near the level of compelling need. Frankly ar 26 we might get nada and the best play woud be trading down and relying on the proven skill of Licht to find gems with lower picks.
April 9th, 2024 at 8:12 am
no to both
April 9th, 2024 at 8:15 am
All day, this guy screams Bust, we will miss JTS if we get Robinson
April 9th, 2024 at 8:22 am
Adam Stank is a moron. Slop Robinson or Xavier Worthless? Two players who will be selling shoes in 36 months, with the first pick? Bwaaahaaaahahahahaaa.
Let’s be thankful Jason Licht is at the helm.
April 9th, 2024 at 8:44 am
Dave^^^^Couldn’t agree more! Never fall for the hype that other teams are throwing out there to have the actual players they want to fall to them.
April 9th, 2024 at 8:48 am
Turner Verse Latu or
JPJ or Barton or
trade back
I wouldn’t mind a pretty big trade up for one of the top pass rushers. Turner would be like a top 5ish pick most drafts and Verse top 5-10. Latu top 5-10 without the medical concerns.
In 2018, the Saints sent a future 1st and their current 5th rounder + pick #27 to go up to #14 to get Marcus Davenport.
I consistently see one of those top 3 pass rushers falling in mock drafts. I wouldn’t mind sending a future #1 if it came to it. Or like a future #2 + one of our 3rd rounders. That should get us up pretty high
April 9th, 2024 at 9:37 am
Lord Corn –
We’re on the same page as far as who the Bucs targets in the 1st round are.
Any one of those 5 makes it to 26 – he’s our man – and the player we were “targeting the whole time” – LOL
Problem is – I think there’s only a 50% chance that any one of them makes it to 26. And it almost certainly won’t be one of the Edge guys.
If the Bucs have determined that Edge is the need they want to fill with the best talent possible this draft – then it makes sense to move up for Verse or Latu – IF and only IF they get within striking range – which is #20.
Our pick #26 + 3rd rd pick #89 is roughly the same value as pick #20 according to the draft trade chart. Might have to throw in a 6th or 7th rd additionally – buts thats a realistic trade up.
Licht is absolutely not going to trade away future #1s or 2s just to move up to 12 or 14 or whatever for 1 player. No way….
It was stupid of the Aints to do that – even if Davenport had turned out to be much better it was still a bad move.
26 is a difficult spot because you’re basically looking mostly at guys still available on your board with high 2nd round grades.
Trading down is the play if all 5 of the primary targets are off the board. But finding a trade down partner may not be so easy at 26 – or even possible….
Bucs need an Edge, a Guard and a Center within the 1st 3 rounds of this draft. We have 4 picks to work with in that range.
If you ask me – OLine upgrades are the biggest need and what will improve the overall TEAM the most. But its harder to find good Edge players on day 2 than it is to find good IOL players.
Just have to see how the 1st round plays out. It should be interesting.
April 9th, 2024 at 11:40 am
What’s interesting is you make a good point about 20 kinda being the ceiling for trading up but that 3rd edge guy will be gone to the Rams just before then. Would Cincy trade back? I agree Edge isn’t going to happen with #26. They brought Verse in to see how high they would trade up, but after that The Bucs mostly looked at day 2 OLBs.
I think they ultimately go OL, OLB, WR and RB with their first 4 picks.
April 9th, 2024 at 12:29 pm
Adoni Mitchell wide receiver Texas.
April 9th, 2024 at 1:12 pm
Say what you will about GMC, but in his last 6 seasons with the Bucs, he averaged 7.5 sacks per season.
Name another defensive tackle who has matched, let alone exceeded that production for the Bucs since then.
(Hint: you can’t, because no one has)
April 9th, 2024 at 1:25 pm
Joe doesn’t overvalue turnovers, that’s why. Can the guy cover and prevent touchdowns? That’s what Joe wants corners to do.
Since Kool-Aid started for Nick Saban, perhaps the best cornerbacks coach in all of football who also has a very high standard, safe to say Kool-Aid can cover.
April 10th, 2024 at 11:04 am
Capt Tim – have seen you spell “maybe” wrong too many times not to say something. Maybe not meybe. How does spell check miss that?
April 10th, 2024 at 11:55 pm
Google is most definitely not your friend. Ask dr Robert Epstein of Harvard university