When the Miami Dolphins drafted EDGE rusher Chop Robinson in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, there were some questions about his fit on the team. The Dolphins had Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb under contract at the position, though Phillips was recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered halfway through the 2023 season.
Robinson filled in admirably early on until Phillips returned and he was relegated to a reserve role. Robinson nonetheless finished with 6.5 sacks and seemed to have a bright future. Unfortunately, his sophomore season was a major disappointment, despite an expanded role following Phillips' trade to the Philadelphia Eagles at the 2025 trade deadline.
When the Dolphins opted for a total teardown in the offseason, Robinson was spared, likely due to his age (23) and the fact that he was still under a relatively inexpensive rookie contract. Still, new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan made it clear more was expected from the former Penn State star. Through eight games, it's becoming more and more clear that Robinson got the message.
Miami Dolphins edge Chop Robinson is excelling with fewer pass-rushing opportunities than his peers
While the numbers vary slightly from source to source, the bottom line is that Chop Robinson has been pressuring the quarterback at an absurd rate. According to Sports Info Solutions, he is third in the NFL in pressure percentage among EDGE rushers with at least 100 pass rushes, at 21.3 percent. He's just behind two Minnesota Vikings — Dallas Thomas (22 percent) and former Dolphin Andrew Van Ginkel (21.4 percent).
Generally speaking, rate stats help level the playing field. They naturally filter out stat accumulators who simply fill out the stat sheet by virtue of the amount of time they spend on the field. However, even the raw numbers for Robinson are wildly impressive.
Pro Football Focus credits him with 30 total pressures on 166 pass rushes. That's good for the 14th-most in the league. Each player ahead of him has at least 41 more rushes than he does, with seven of them having 85-plus more. That helps explain the rate, but it also exposes a major factor in why the numbers haven't been even better.
Dolphins' opponents have attempted just 221 passes this season. That's the lowest total in the league. Opposing teams haven't had to throw the ball all that much, as Miami's offense has unfortunately been too toothless to force a shootout. That undoubtedly affects Robinson's production.
Last season, Robinson attributed some of his struggles to a lack of rhythm in his playing time. He claimed he wasn't playing enough to get into a comfortable groove. While he's playing more than ever this season, he's still not getting all that many pass-rush chances relative to his peers.
As this season unfolds, it will be interesting to see what Robinson is capable of when he gets even league-average pass-rush chances. If the early signs are any indication, it will be special.
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