The Miami Dolphins’ defense has been disappointing the past couple of years. They took a step in the right direction after hiring Jeff Hafley as their new head coach and selecting defensive players (cornerback Chris Johnson and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez) in the first two rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
However, the defense still has a lot of holes to fill and isn’t projected to perform well this upcoming NFL season. There’s one key player on the defense who needs a big year for the Dolphins to be a competitive defense: Chop Robinson, Miami’s first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Robinson had a promising rookie year, where he recorded six sacks and a pass rush win rate of 18.8%. In his second season, Robinson’s stats dipped in many categories, and he only produced four sacks. He experienced the “Sophomore slump” when he went eight consecutive games without a sack. However, in the last five games of the 2025 season, Robinson started looking like that promising player again, who could be a force off the edge.
Now entering his third year in a below-average defense, Robinson needs to build on those games for a standout year. With a young and unproven secondary, the defensive line needs to take pressure off the back end. Having a double-digit year in sacks would help this defense more than one could imagine.
Not only would Robinson’s performance have a high impact on the defense, but he’d leave the Dolphins with an easy decision to pick up his fifth-year option next offseason.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins 2024 first-round pick needs to have a standout year
Reporting by Julio Vasquez, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Julio Vasquez, Dolphins Wire | USA TODAY Network
