NFL Analysis
11/26/24
6 min read
Miami Dolphins Pass Rusher Chop Robinson Is an Emerging Superstar
Chop Robinson’s rookie season got off to a quiet start, but the Miami Dolphins' 2024 first-round pick is heating up at the perfect time.
In the last four weeks, Robinson leads NFL defenders with 25 pressures and a 25.8 percent pressure rate. He has also recorded 3.5 sacks since Week 9.
After no sacks and just 11 pressures in his first seven games, he’s emerged as one of the most efficient pass rushers in the NFL and is improving every week.
While Jared Verse has likely built an insurmountable lead in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race, Robinson’s mid-season breakout should at least put him in the conversation.
Chop Robinson's Breakout
ATHLETICISM
Robinson was one of the most explosive college edge rushers I’ve ever evaluated, and his impressive combine testing almost undersells how special of an athlete he is.
His first-step quickness was completely overwhelming for Big Ten offensive linemen and allowed him to close in on the quarterback before tackles could reach the top of their sets.
After just a few plays of the Chop Robinson experience, Michigan realized they had no chance of blocking him and set a college football record with 32 consecutive runs.
This burst off the line of scrimmage has translated to the NFL. In the first clip, Dion Dawkins is a second late getting into his set, which is a death sentence against Robinson. On the second play, Robinson fights through the chip help, freezes Demontrey Jacobs with a ghost move, and bends around the edge for a sack:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
PASS RUSHING TECHNIQUE
At Penn State, Robinson was overreliant on his athleticism and didn’t have a developed pass-rushing skill set. He wasn’t skilled with his hands, lacked counter moves, and rarely won with power. His blinding speed rush would result in some splash plays, but he needed to expand his arsenal of moves to be consistently productive in the NFL.
An offseason of NFL coaching has done wonders for Robinson’s pass-rushing technique, however, and he now has multiple ways of winning as a speed rusher.
He got pressure in Week 12 using a two-handed swipe. Jacobs punches aggressively with his outside hand, and Robinson swipes it down, clearing a path around the corner:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
In Week 11, he won with a euro-step cross-chop, striking across his body and hooking underneath the tackle’s outside hand:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
The strides Robinson has made in just a few months are highly encouraging, considering he never needed to use his hands in college.
The threat of his speed rush causes tackles to overset or lean too far upfield, which creates space to counter inside. This was not something Robinson was comfortable capitalizing on at Penn State, but he’s taken advantage of these opportunities in the NFL.
On these plays, the tackles take sharp 45-degree sets to cut off the angle around the outside shoulder. This leaves a wide opening through the B-gap, and Robinson has the quickness to cross the tackle’s face before he can recover:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
POWER
The most surprising development in Robinson’s game is his bull rush. As a smaller edge rusher, he doesn’t have the mass to naturally impose his will as a power rusher, but he’s still been able to push the pocket by converting speed to power.
On his strip sack from Week 12, he begins the play by taking three steps upfield to erase the cushion between himself and the tackle. Extending his arms and continuing to charge at full speed would telegraph his move and prompt the tackle to prepare to drop his anchor.
Instead, Robinson decelerates and stutters towards the tackle’s cylinder, rapidly drives into his frame, and walks him back several steps. Most pass rushers are incapable of such sudden speed changes, but with a shortened runway, Robinson generates enough momentum to dislodge the tackle’s anchor:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
Against better tackles, power rushing wins will usually be less dominant, but the initial knockback can create openings in the pocket:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
Even when he doesn’t get a sack, Robinson can compress the pocket and force the quarterback to get rid of the ball early or throw from an unbalanced base:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
Speed-to-power is also an effective opening move to soften the block before transitioning to speed. On these plays, Robinson’s power causes the tackle to lean forward, which inhibits their recovery as he rips underneath the outside arm:
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
RUN DEFENSE
Robinson is a pass-rushing specialist at this point and has only started one game this season. A highly productive pass rusher who plays 30-40 snaps per game is still valuable and worth a first-round pick, but to earn a full-time role, he’ll need to improve as a run defender.
When Robinson is on the field, opposing offenses make a concerted effort to run toward his side. He doesn’t have the play strength to hold up at the point of attack or set a firm edge, and running backs are given spacious off-tackle gaps to run through. When he’s in a position to make a stop in the backfield, he’s also been an unreliable wrap-up tackler.
— James Foster (@JamesFosterNFL) November 25, 2024
Despite his limitations in the run game, the second half of Robinson’s rookie season has been a resounding success.
This was supposed to be more of a developmental year, but with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips sidelined, Miami has been forced to rely on immediate production from their first-round pick. Robinson has answered the challenge and is only gaining steam as the Dolphins make a late push for the playoffs.
