Edge Rusher to Cardinals Makes 'Too Much Sense'

The Arizona Cardinals and Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson make too much sense as a fit.

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Penn State defensive lineman Chop Robinson (DL45) speaks at a | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- It's no secret the Arizona Cardinals need help across the board entering the 2024 NFL Draft, and while people are focused on what GM Monti Ossenfort will do at pick 4, the organization still has another first-round pick at 27 thanks to last year's trade with the Houston Texans.

Wide receiver tends to be the common pick with the first of Arizona's two selections on Day 1, and rightfully so. Kyler Murray needs an elite weapon and the Cardinals lost two receivers in Rondale Moore/Marquise Brown over the offseason.

When it comes to their pick later in the first, Arizona could take a "best player available approach" with positions such as interior offensive line and cornerback potentially being addressed.

ESPN says edge rusher - specifically Penn State's Chop Robinson - makes too much sense to land in the desert.

"The Cardinals could add pass-rushing juice here with Robinson, while also filling a major need in Jonathan Gannon's defense. Robinson is explosive off the edge, with a lightning-quick first step that allows him to attack the edges of offensive tackles and the lower body flex to turn the corner. Plus, he has the pursuit speed to track down ball carriers on the perimeter," wrote Matt Bowen.

"The Cardinals could add an impact player here on passing downs, one who ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the combine and has a ways to go before he hits his ceiling. While Robinson had only four sacks last season, his average time to pressure was 2.22 seconds, the third fastest in the FBS, according to ESPN Stats & Info."

The Cardinals' 33 team sacks ranked just 30th in the NFL last season and at the moment, Arizona doesn't have a bonafide No. 1 pass-rusher on their roster. Dennis Gardeck seems to have hit his ceiling, B.J. Ojulari came on strong at the end of his rookie season but is still considered raw and the jury is very much still out on Zaven Collins after he made the transition from inside to outside.

Robinson recently visited with Arizona on a Top 30 visit. His NFL.com draft profile compared him to Micah Parsons.