Robinson matched a rare feat by a first-round pick in 2006
Projected NFL first-round pick Demeioun "Chop" Robinson stood out on opening night of the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis during his drills, especially in the 40-yard dash.
The most-anticipated drill at the combine, the 40-yard dash is usually slower for the defensive linemen on day one, but don’t tell Robinson.
At 6-foot-2, 254 pounds, Robinson ran an electrifying 4.48-second 40-yard dash.
It was initially clocked at 4.49 seconds, but the time was reduced by one hundredth of a second after a review.
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Chop Robinson of Penn State runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
When a Nittany Lions defensive lineman runs a time like that, Micah Parsons, the Penn State alum and Dallas Cowboys star, immediately comes up as a comparison.
Parsons had a full second on Robinson in his Pro Day 40, shocking everyone with a 4.39-second sprint.
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While Robinson didn’t have Parsons beat, NFL Network compared Robinson's sprint to the San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa and Houston Texans’ Will Anderson Jr., both top five picks in their respective drafts. And Robinson was faster than both.
Robinson’s 10-yard split of 1.54 seconds was the fastest mark ever recorded by an edge rusher who weighs at least 250 pounds, showing how this speed at his size is unheard of.
Robinson excelled elsewhere at the combine, recording a 34½-inch vertical leap and a 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump.
Penn State defensive lineman Chop Robinson answers questions from the media during the NFL Scouting Combine Feb. 28, 2024, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. (Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
He became the first prospect since Vernon Davis, the San Francisco 49ers tight end who went No. 6 overall out of Maryland in the 2006 NFL Draft, to post a 40-yard dash at 4.5 seconds or less and record a broad jump of at least 10½ feet.
Robinson, already considered a first-round talent, could go earlier than previously projected April 25 when the draft kicks off.
Robinson initially began his college career at Maryland before transferring to Penn State in 2022. He had a standout sophomore season with 5½ sacks, 26 combined tackles and 10 tackles for loss.
Chop Robinson of Penn State runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium Feb. 29, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
In 2023, Robinson had four sacks and 15 total tackles with two forced fumbles in 10 games.
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
