MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — In our flash poll on the X social media platform, Miami Dolphins fans had a muted reaction to the selection of Penn State pass rusher Chop Robinson with the 21st pick.
Nearly half the respondents gave the Dolphins a B grade, and roughly one in four gave it a C.
That’s probably fair, given both his remarkable physical gifts but just 11.5 career sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
Miami Dolphins Draft Pick Chop Robinson Weighs In
Those topline stats don’t tell the whole story, of course. Per PFF, Robinson had 74 pressures on 397 pass rush snaps since 2022 — a ridiculous 18.6% rate.
So why didn’t he get to the quarterback more?
“Oh, for me, it was just being inconsistent with my hands,” he told reporters. “I know I had the speed and the bend, but sometimes I forget to use my hands. But that’s something that 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 to time to put my hand to use.”
KEEP READING: Miami Dolphins NFL Draft Grades 2024
The best-case scenario for Robinson’s career is that it comes close to that of fellow Penn State Nittany Lion Micah Parsons, another remarkable athlete who went in the first round.
When asked to compare his game to that of Parsons, Robinson replied:
“I would say just the speed and the bend that we both have, Micah has the speed. He runs a [fast] 40 and played like it. I have the speed. Micah also has a great bend. He’s able to, you know, bend around a big offensive lineman and turn tight corners, and I feel like that’s a part of my game that we both have.”
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