Dolphins select Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson with 21st overall pick

Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has said “edge” is his favorite position on the field.

And the Dolphins — in a precarious spot at that position because of injuries to two starters — drafted one on Thursday when they selected Penn State’s Chop Robinson with the 21st overall pick.

Robinson’s stats are fairly modest: 60 tackles, 11.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 35 games, covering three seasons.

“He was a player that we kind of identified early that we liked,” general manager Chris Grier said. “He was someone that we felt could impact our team and had some traits we liked, both as a person and a player.

“He plays hard. He plays his [butt] off, and that’s what we like. And then, obviously, the athletic traits and what he has. You see a first-step quickness, the explosion, his ability to bend.”

He had four sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 10 games for Penn State last season, along with two forced fumbles. But he had just 15 total tackles last season. He missed time last season when he was carted off the field with what appeared to be a head injury against Ohio State. Penn State didn’t identify it as a concussion.

Robinson had 26 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks for Penn State in 2022.

He had 34 quarterback hurries in 2022 and 18 last season, per Pro Football Focus.

Robinson spent his first season as a linebacker at Maryland (producing two sacks) before switching to defensive end as a Nittany Lions transfer.

Robinson, who’s 6-3 and 254 pounds, was projected to go later than 21 in most mock drafts. But the Dolphins had a conviction about him.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein described Robinson as an “edge defender who offers the type of elite athleticism we’ve seen from players like Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett. Robinson might not be as fast as Parsons, but he’s close. He’s ultra-twitchy with the explosiveness to get on top of blockers and overwhelm them in an instant.

“However, he will need to level up his hand skills and attack angles to reach his potential against NFL tackles. Robinson’s electric athletic traits alone should give him a floor as a good NFL starter. If he crafts a rush approach and learns to string moves/counters together, he could reach his ceiling as a destructive force capable of forcing teams to game plan around him.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said he needs to expand his pass rush arsenal.

Robinson ran a 4.48 in the 40 yard dash and had an excellent broad jump of 10-8. There’s no question about his athleticism.

Former UM coach and new Duke coach Manny Diaz, who coached Robinson as Penn State’s defensive coordinator last season, said on the social media platform X that Robinson is a “great pick. Pairing Chop with Jaelan Phillips together is how you terrorize QBs. Great player and better man.”

Robinson could get playing time immediately, with Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips covering from major injuries. Shaq Barrett is the only healthy experienced edge player on the roster.

Among others, the Dolphins bypassed Duke offensive lineman Graham Barton, Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson, Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, Texas receiver Xavier Worthy, LSU receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton.

Robinson’s given name is Demeioun. He was nickname “Pork Chop” came from his size at birth (14 pounds). It was shortened to “Chop” as he got older.

Robinson said he feels “blessed and happy to be a Dolphin.”

He said Dolphins general manager Chris Grier “had a really good feel for me. I talked to them at the Combine, talked to them at Pro Day.”

Asked about his modest sack production, Robinson said: “For me, it was being inconsistent with my hands. I know I have the speed and bend. I have been working on it repeatedly. I know it will come naturally when it comes time to put my hands to use.”

What about the comparisons to Cowboys All Pro linebacker Parsons?

“The speed and bend we both have” are similarities, Robinson said. “I have the speed. Micah also has the great bend. I feel like that’s part of my game that we both have.”

He said he hasn’t spoken at length to new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver but said “the defense” that Weaver plans to use “is the same [we] use at Penn State, putting me at nose and on the edge.”

He said “coming in and learning” from Phillips, Chubb and Barrett “is a great situation, a great thing for me.”

He said he has never been to Miami.

“Everyone is chasing greatness,” he said. “It’s a great fit for me.”