Chop Robinson’s Upside Could Give Miami The Dominant Front They Desperately Need
Credit: Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
Heading into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the writing seemed on the wall for the Miami Dolphins to draft an interior offensive lineman following the departures of Robert Hunt and Connor Williams. IBetOnline had an offensive lineman at four-to-five odds to be the first position drafted by the Dolphins in the first round.
Instead, the Dolphins decided to select Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson with the 21st overall pick. The top comment on the Miami Dolphins subreddit perfectly encapsulated the fan bases’ reaction to the pick: “Chris Grier never change you stupid beautiful bastard”. In Grier’s defense, Robinson was far from a bad pick. Unexpected? Yes, but nowhere near in the same tier as the Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr. after giving Kirk Cousins $90 million guaranteed over the next two seasons, for example.
Edge rusher may not have been as pressing of a need for the Dolphins compared to the interior offensive line, but it was still a position that needed to be addressed in the short term. Both of the Dolphins starting outside linebackers, Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, suffered significant injuries late last season. On top of that, Andrew Van Ginkel signed with the Vikings in free agency while Emmanuel Ogbah was cut as a cap casualty this offseason and isn’t expected to return.
The Dolphins were in dire need of outside linebacker depth, and they drafted a hell of a player in Chop Robinson. Not only does he have a ton of upside from an athletic standpoint, but he can also come in and contribute right away. NFL Network analyst Lance Zierlein even went as far as to compare Chop Robinson to Micah Parsons in his scouting report:
“Edge defender who offers the type of elite athleticism we’ve seen from players like Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. Robinson might not be as fast as Parsons, but he’s close. He’s ultra-twitchy with the explosiveness to get on top of blockers and overwhelm them in an instant…. Robinson’s electric athletic traits alone should give him a floor as a good NFL starter.”
Besides, interior offensive line isn’t considered a premium position, so unless you’re getting a perennial All-Pro caliber player like Zack Martin or Quenton Nelson, then it isn’t wise to spend a first-round pick on a guard. An average guard is simply going to contribute less value to a team than an average edge rusher. The fact that Miami chose not to draft an interior offensive lineman at all says a lot about their confidence level in players who were valuable backups last season. Players like Liam Eichenberg, Robert Jones, and Isaiah Wynn all figure to be key contributors heading into 2024 after being primarily backups (or in Wynn’s case, on the IR for parts of the year).
At his absolute worst, Chop Robinson figures to be a highly athletic pass rusher who will be especially valuable on passing downs. Think of guys like Josh Uche for the Patriots or former Jets edge rusher Bryce Huff, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. At his best, you’re looking at a game-wrecking ball of energy that defenses will need to account for at all times who could quickly evolve into a budding superstar.
Given the fact that the Dolphins will soon see the return of both Chubb and Phillips, the mere thought of a dominant pass rusher like Robinson joining them should scare the living hell out of the rest of the AFC East.
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