The Miami Dolphins have played a combined four games with star pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips in 2024 (with all of which coming from the latter, who tore his ACL in week four vs. the Tennessee Titans). This, combined with the unexpected retirement of Shaquil Barrett (who applied for reinstatement on Tuesday), placed high expectations on first-round rookie edge rusher Chop Robinson, who Miami selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Robinson was an athletic freak at Penn State, registering a 9.72 raw athletic score (RAS) out of 10 and running a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the combine. This, of course, was the center of the hype around him as a prospect. Dominant speed and get-off were present in his film, but many had questions about how high his floor was. With Miami lacking edge depth and competing for a playoff spot, they were going to need production early.

Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots marked a coming-out party for Robinson, who registered a 30.8% pressure rate and 1.5 sacks on just 26 pass rush snaps. More impressive than the stats, however, was the variety of ways Robinson won on film. Along with his game-breaking speed, his conversion of that speed to power and advanced technique stood out in Miami’s 34-15 win.

The Go-To

In order to evaluate Robinson’s performance, we must first understand where Miami deployed Robinson.

In order to best maximize his speed, Miami often aligned Chop Robinson as a wide nine technique, placing him far outside of an offensive tackle (and a tight end if New England lined one up to Robinson’s side). This forces deeper pass sets from tackles, and gives Robinson space to operate on passing downs.

This first play is a prime example of Miami’s deployment of Robinson, along with the use of his primary skill set. New England attempts to give their right tackle some help in the form of tight end Austin Hooper. Robinson not only makes quick work of Hooper on his block and release but uses the contact to his advantage, getting a more straightforward angle on Drake Maye. This leaves him one on one with tackle Demontrey Jacobs, who Robinson bluffs with a quick flash of the hands, followed by a duck-under move that puts him right in Maye’s lap.

Strength and Technique

Here’s another pressure that not only shows that patented speed and get-off but potentially, more importantly, some really strong bend and leg drive.

Robinson was giving tackle Demontrey Jacobs hell on Sunday, and it’s easy to see on plays like this. Jacobs was urgently attempting to get depth in his set to counter Chop’s speed. Here, he attempts a punch on the rusher to arc him out of range of the quarterback, but Robinson uses excellent ankle flexion and bend to stay on his feet. With his last step, he’s able to gain enough power to lunge himself into Maye and register a pressure.

The Complete Package

This rep might be the most impressive of the bunch, and is another prime example of that leg drive. Rather than bursting off the line like he typically does, Robinson uses short, quick steps, and gets more vertical. However, that lower body strength is on display once again. On his final step, Robinson generates enough power to lunge into Jacobs, move him off his spot and set up his push-pull move. Even without full momentum, Chop has clear strength in his legs that set up for a bevy of rush moves.

This last rep shows everything you’ve seen thus far. Robinson shows a spectacular get-off from that wide nine spot, using his bend to create a perfect angle for the edge rep as he and Jacobs meet at the spot. Once again, he utilizes that speed and lower body strength to generate power, getting his hand on Jacobs’ left pec and backing him up into Maye’s lap.

The Bottom Line

Chop Robinson has given juice to a Dolphins pass rush unit that has desperately needed it. Every game for Miami is more important than the last, and while the competition hasn’t been All-Pro level, Robinson has shown technical growth week over week that gives reason to believe he can sustain this level of play.

The biggest tests of the year are yet to come, but it’s certainly exciting to see the first-round pick make such a significant impact early on.