The Dolphins’ defense is already in rough shape, and the quickest way out of it runs straight through Chop Robinson.
Miami came into this season with a roster that was never built to dominate, and the front office has made it clear the bigger plan is about the future, not the present. That reality has shown up on both sides of the ball. But even with those limitations, there was still an expectation that the defense could be at least functional early on.
Instead, it has been one of the league’s most vulnerable units, especially when opponents drop back to throw. The Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers both found plenty of room to operate through the air, and the Dolphins have been unable to stop the bleeding.
The numbers tell the story. Miami sits last in the NFL in EPA per pass allowed and passing success rate allowed, per SumerSports.
Those marks would have ranked last in both categories in 2025 as well. The pass rush has been a major reason why.
The Dolphins are the only team in the league that still hasn’t recorded a sack, and their pressure rate of 28.6% ranks 31st, ahead of only the New York Giants.
That puts a lot on Robinson, who has yet to deliver the kind of breakout Miami needs from him. The former first-round pick has 10 sacks in 33 career games, and his production has already taken a hit.
As a rookie, he flashed with 56 pressures. That dropped to 19 in his second season.
This year has started slowly, too. Robinson did not generate a pressure and was credited with one tackle in Miami’s season opener. He then missed the Week 2 loss because of a concussion he suffered in practice, and his status for Week 3 is still unclear.
If the Dolphins are going to get anything resembling a passable defense, Robinson has to be part of the fix. He doesn’t need to become an All-Pro overnight, but Miami has almost no margin for error elsewhere. Without a real jump from Robinson, the defense won’t have much chance to threaten opposing quarterbacks at all.
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