Here’s how Dolphins’ Chop Robinson is an effective pass rusher without big sack numbers
Miami Dolphins' first-round pick Chop Robinson led the Big Ten in pressure rate over the past two seasons at 18.6%.
MIAMI GARDENS — One of the big things to remember about Miami Dolphins first-round pick Chop Robinson, the edge rusher from Penn State, is that he embodies what the Dolphins have preached, which is that sacks aren’t the only measure of an effective pass rush, that you can be an effective pass rusher by being disruptive.
From that standpoint, Robinson, who is expected to be Miami’s No. 1 pass rusher while veterans Bradley Chubb (knee) and Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) recover from their injuries, was the perfect selection at No. 21 in Thursday’s first round of the NFL draft.
Many times we’ve heard the Dolphins, who established a franchise record with 56 sacks last season, say sacks aren’t the only determination of a successful pass rush.
Robinson lives that philosophy.
He had a modest 4.0 sacks last season.
But he led the Big Ten in pressure rate (minimum of 200 pass rushes) over the past two seasons combined at 18.6%.
And according to Pro Football Focus, Robinson was tied for No. 3 nationally in pass rush win rate over the past two seasons at 20.9%, tied with Washington’s Barlen Trice and behind UCLA’s Laiatu Latu (23.1%) and Florida State’s Jared Verse (22.1%).
Those numbers show Robinson can be an effective pass rusher without recording a high sack total.
By the way, Robinson said he knows why his sack numbers were low.
“For me, it was just being inconsistent with my hands,” he said Thursday night. “I know I had the speed and the bend, but sometimes I forget to use my hands. But that’s something I’ve been working on this whole offseason, and I feel very confident because I’ve been working on this so much repeatedly and I know it’s going to be natural when it comes time to put my hands to use.”
Robinson, whose real name is Demeioun, has all the tools to be great.
He’s been a star all of his athletic life. He was a five-star recruit out of Gaithersburg, Md., (Quince Orchard High School), the No. 22 prospect nationally, and the No. 2 edge rusher nationally.
He attended Maryland originally, and then transferred to Penn State, where he burst onto the scene as a sophomore with a career-best 5.0 sacks.
He also had a whopping 48 pressures.
He had a 92.4 grade as a pass rusher as a sophomore at Penn State, followed by a 92.3 in 2023 as a junior.
Robinson, a third-team All America and first-team All Big Ten last season, had a modest 9.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
But almost as importantly, over that 22-game span Robinson has 17.5 tackles for loss, including 7.5 last season, which shows he’s disruptive beyond getting sacks.
By the way, last season Robinson also had two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, a pass breakup and five quarterback hurries.
He’s an athletic freak, too. His 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine is tied for seventh all time among defensive ends. His 10-foot, 8-inch broad jump tied for best among defensive ends at this year’s combine.
“I feel like that 10-8 broad jump shows the explosiveness I have, especially with my first step,” he said. “Just jumping out like that and then being able to get off the ball shows that (I’m) not only doing the athletic combine results, but I can do it also on tape.”
Most importantly, Robinson can do it on the field.
He combines his skills in an effective, efficient manner and it results in sacks, pressures, high win rates and passing game disruption.
“I’m not the lengthy-ist guy,” Robinson said, “(but) I have quick hands, (and) I’m quick to react when hands are thrown in my face.
“So just being able to use my hands and my speed and my bend is something that’s really good for my game because I’m so fast, and being able to use my hands is very disruptive.”
So don’t just look at Robinson’s sack numbers from Penn State, or perhaps even his rookie season. They might not tell the full story of why he’s an effective pass rusher, or why the Dolphins drafted him in the first round.
Newly-signed Dolphins defensive tackle Teair Tart, speaking on a video call with reporters earlier this week, reiterated the message that applies with Robinson — it’s as much about being disruptive in the pass rush as getting a sack.
“There’s a lot of ways to affect the quarterback,” Tart said. “Obviously pressures, disrupting timing, hits, pressing the pocket, making the quarterback feel uncomfortable. Those are ways that actually translate into getting other people sacks and actually makes you an effective rusher.
“Getting sacks just doesn’t tell the whole story.”