‘Focused on this year.’ Why Chop Robinson is ready for his sophomore season
Chop Robinson showed flashes of greatness as a rookie.
His six sacks and and 14 quarterback hits both ranked second among first-year players. His production, especially in the second half of the 2024 season, was even more impressive considering that he was given an extended run after Jaelan Phillips’ tore his ACL and Bradley Chubb opted not to return until 2025 due to his own knee injury.
With the two veteran edge rushers now back in the mix and the Dolphins’ heavy investment at defensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft, Robinson has the opportunity to be a major contributor this season. And he apparently has the right attitude to do it.
“I enjoyed it a little bit,” Robinson said of his rookie success, “but it’s Year 2, so whatever happened in the past, that doesn’t really matter anymore. I’m just focused on this year.”
That Robinson doesn’t plan to rest on his laurels should be considered a good sign. Miami boasted a top-five defense in yards allowed in 2024 and although they will likely downgrade at cornerback with Jalen Ramsey seemingly out the door, the defensive line should not only be better in 2025 but be one of the team’s best units. Throw in another year of development for Robinson as well as familiarity with defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s scheme and the second-year edge rusher could be a problem in 2025 — especially with the addition of Kenneth Grant to play alongside Zach Sieler.
“I’m super excited,” Robinson said Wednesday. “Just imagining the three of us on the field at the same time, or just me and JP or JP and Chubb at the same time, it’s kind of hard for tackles to [say], ‘All right, you’ve got to study JP, you’ve got to study Chubb, you’ve got to study me.’ And if we’re all on the field at the same time, it [can] kind of mess up the offense’s mind because they wouldn’t know what to do.”
Added Robinson: “When the offense has to focus on more than just one guy, they can’t just set a slide to the edge rusher. They can’t just send a chipper to that side when you’ve got interior that can tear up the whole game, so it’s kind of a different game plan than it is without having guys like that.”
Although Robinson came into the league as a pass rusher who needed to improve as a run stopper, it’s clear that he has grown in that regard. A first quarter play in the Dolphins’ season finale against the New York Jets speaks to his development. The play — a pitch to the left — saw Robinson set the edge to the right so that when Breece Hall tried to cutback, he ran smack into the then-rookie edge rusher’s arms. Terron Armstead, who frequently took time after practice to work with Robinson in 2024, gave the second-year play some love on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, during a conversation about his edge-setting ability.
“Chop can set the edge now,” the recently retired left tackle tweeted May 6. “I’ve actually blocked him! He’s strong and willing to attack blockers! The willingness is the part to focus on when you get those elite rushers. Some don’t even care to play the run, and that’s not the case here!”
Another area of growth for Robinson: mentorship. He made a point to connect with Grant about how to navigate not only his rookie season but also external expectations.
“I’ve been in that position last year, being a first-round pick and a lot of outsiders try to put a lot of pressure on you,” Robinson said, “but honestly, it’s just football at the end of the day. You’re just going out there, and once you get comfortable, you get the playbook down, it’s football again. You don’t have to put too much pressure on yourself so I just keep telling him that.”
Between his growth as a leader and as a run stopper, Robinson’s sophomore year could be special. It would seem that the edge rusher actually took Weaver’s late season advice to heart.
“I think the biggest message that would be relayed is just not to be satisfied,” Weaver said in early January. “He’s obviously had some early success which is truly a credit to him. As coaches just continuing to pour in him and with him responding and listening, but complacency is the cousin of death in this league. The last thing you would want to do is be happy with where you are at because the second that happens, somebody is passing you up. Incredibly excited about the kid and I know he’ll put the work in.”
This story was originally published May 16, 2025 at 3:40 PM.
