5 boom-or-bust prospects the Carolina Panthers could draft in 2024
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could draft Chop Robinson
- Edge Rusher | Penn State Nittany Lions
Securing the services of Jadeven Clowney represents a significant coup from the Carolina Panthers. This completely legitimizes their plans under Dan Morgan, with a two-year deal and playing closer to home serving as huge selling points for the former No. 1 overall selection.
This should be an asset to the team's edge rushing room, especially considering the departures of Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu, and Yetur Gross-Matos. However, this shouldn't prevent those in power from identifying another gifted pass-rusher from the collegiate level to strengthen their plans for sustained growth.
Chop Robinson's been a hot name throughout pre-draft assessments. He displayed exceptional athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine and has the traits teams normally gamble on in the hope they turn into something more under the guidance of high-caliber coaches.
That could be the case, but it could also go the other way.
Robinson flashed during his time at Penn State. He also got overwhelmed by more elite offensive tackles frequently, never attaining more than 5.5 sacks in a season. The player managed four quarterback takedowns in his final college year, so the red flags are obvious despite his enormous upside.
Considering Robinson is a borderline first-round pick, the Panthers would need to take him at No. 33 if available. This is tempting, but he might also end up being another Gross-Matos, who came from the same program and didn't meet expectations.