Two weeks into his rookie season, Miami Dolphins first-round pick Chop Robinson has no sacks and just two tackles. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver isn’t too worried about it, though.
“I love how Chop is playing right now,” Weaver told reporters Thursday. “I know from a numbers standpoint maybe the production hasn’t been there, but when you watch the tape, you realize just how close he is. And his production, again, all he can do is give energy and effort and try to execute his technique and then ultimately through the law of the numbers, the production will come and I believe that’s going to happen, wholeheartedly.”
The numbers at Pro Football Focus corroborate that review.
Robinson, 21, has been credited with three pressures on only 16 pass rushing snaps. His 75.0 grade through two games is fourth among all defensive rookies in the NFL, who have played at least 20 snaps.
“He’s been great,” Weaver said. “What we ask for from a technique standpoint is so much different than what they were asked to do in college. … We’re constantly trying to change the math on all levels of our defense, so there’s some re-teaching that needs to occur, but for Chop, that learning has happened very quickly.”
If his upward trajectory starts yielding sacks, that would provide a significant boost for a team that hasn’t generated a ton of pressure yet. Last season, the Dolphins ranked third in the NFL with 56 sacks. Through two weeks of the 2024 season, Miami has only three. Just three teams have fewer sacks so far.
A potential concern is that Robinson did a lot of generating pressure in the collegiate ranks, but didn’t rack up many sacks to show for it. In two seasons at Penn State, the pass rusher was credited by PFF with 74 total pressures; however, he had just 9.5 sacks with the Nittany Lions.
“That’s not on that kid alone,” Weaver said of that disparity. “He’s had some good rushes, and sometimes you haven’t had the coverage to match what he’s doing and vice versa.
“The numbers will come as he earns more reps. As he continues to earn trust with his teammates and we find more reasons to put him out there, again, I believe that those numbers will come because the kid plays too hard, he’s too talented. He listens, he takes the coaching. It’s inevitable.”
