Miami Dolphins edge rusher Chop Robinson has a Week 1 setup that looks made for him.
After a rookie year that showed exactly why Miami made him a first-round pick, Robinson took a step back in 2025 with just four sacks. Now he’s back in the spotlight with a defensive head coach in Jeff Hafley and a clear path to becoming the most explosive defender on a rebuilding 2026 Dolphins team. Training camp has pointed toward a player who is putting the pieces together, and Sunday gives him his first real chance to prove it.
The matchup couldn’t be much more inviting. Las Vegas right tackle DJ Glaze is the spot Robinson will want to attack, and the numbers from last season are rough.
Per PFF, Glaze allowed 10 sacks and 48 QB pressures while also drawing five penalties after a decent rookie year. Just Blog Baby site expert Levi Dombro was a bit more optimistic after Glaze’s preseason, but he still flagged the same problem areas:
"His issues with speed rushers became an even bigger issue, and fans clamored for a new right tackle. Glaze has survived the transition to Klint Kubiak so far, and new offensive line coach Rick Dennision is a fan of his talent. Glaze has the measurables to become a good tackle in the NFL, but he would have to shore up his technique."
That’s a tough ask against Robinson, who profiles as exactly the kind of speed rusher Glaze has struggled with. Robinson’s RAS score of 9.72 out of 10 towers over Glaze’s 5.54, and the athletic mismatch could be glaring if the Dolphins edge rusher gets going early.
Las Vegas doesn’t look built to help much, either. Raiders tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer are not known for their blocking, so Glaze may spend plenty of snaps isolated against Robinson without much assistance.
There is one wrinkle: Kolton Miller should have a much better time on the other side for Las Vegas, so the left edge may not offer the same kind of opening. But on the right side, the picture is clear.
Week 1 can always fool people, of course. The Raiders beat the Patriots in last year’s opener, and the season quickly told a very different story for both teams. Still, Robinson has a real chance to make a statement in one game, and this feels like the kind of matchup where quick wins, pressure, and maybe multiple sacks are on the table.
Las Vegas is starting Kirk Cousins at quarterback, which only adds to the challenge for the Raiders if Robinson starts winning early. If Miami is going to punch above expectations in Sin City, this is the sort of play that could swing it.
In Other News...
Dolphins Rebuild Comes With A Cap Burden Fans Didn't Expect
The Dolphins reset under new head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan is going to come with a financial hangover that stretches well beyond the current season. Miami is carrying $182.8 million in dead cap for 2026, a reminder of how aggressively the roster was overhauled as the team moved on from several high-profile names and tried to clear the runway for a new era.
Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill and Jalen Ramsey are no longer on the roster, but their contracts will still weigh heavily on the books next year. The silver lining for Miami is that the pain is expected to ease quickly, with the Dolphins projected to have more than $104 million in cap space in 2027, giving the franchise a much cleaner path as Hafley and Sullivan keep shaping the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins Fans Should Already Watch These 2 Future Draft Names
The early 2026 college football season is already giving Dolphins fans a few names to tuck away for later, and Ohio State is once again in the middle of that conversation. Jeremiah Smith keeps looking like the kind of receiver who can bend a defense around him, and Julian Sayin is showing the kind of command that keeps a quarterback on the radar for NFL evaluators. Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Oregons Dante Moore are also part of the wider picture, but the Buckeyes duo has been especially loud out of the gate.
Against Ball State, Smith turned eight catches into 151 yards and two touchdowns, while Sayin added three touchdown throws and even ran for another score. It is very early, of course, and no one is handing out draft cards in September, but this is the sort of weekly performance tracking that matters for a team like Miami, which is always looking ahead while it handles the present. [Read more 🡒]
Dolphins May Have A Week 1 Answer They Didn't Expect
Chris Bells path to Miami looked like a long shot not too long ago, but the rookie wide receiver has pushed himself into the conversation heading into Week 1 against the Raiders. After recovering from a torn ACL suffered in college, Bell got on the field in the preseason finale and showed the kind of versatility the Dolphins covet, lining up at multiple receiver spots and giving the staff something real to evaluate beyond camp buzz.
For an offense that can always use another option to stretch the field, Bells speed and hands have clearly caught the attention of the coaching staff. Miamis offensive coordinator has already spoken highly of him, and the bigger question now is how much of that trust translates into Sundays game plan. The Dolphins may have gone into the summer expecting the rookie to be a developmental piece, but he suddenly looks like a player who could matter right away. [Read more 🡒]
