The disconnect on Robinson pick and why the Dolphins may have a point. And Chop nuggets

Notes, takeaways and perspective on Dolphins first-round pick Chop Robinson, coinciding with the Dolphins rookie minicamp this weekend:

▪ There seems to be a disconnect between those who question why Miami would draft an edge rusher who had just 11.5 sacks in 35 college games, and those who see the high ceiling and how he makes an impact in other ways.

Here’s a big reason why Miami drafted him 21st overall: The Dolphins front office values quarterback pressures and quarterback disruption every bit as much -- if not more so -- than sacks.

And in that area, Robinson is very good.

Though Robinson’s sack production was modest, keep in mind that he had 61 quarterback hurries in 497 career pass rushing snaps. That’s one hurry for every 8.1 pass rushing attempts.

Alabama’s Dallas Turner, selected 17th by Minnesota (four spots before Robinson), had 25 sacks in three seasons but had 67 hurries in 806 pass rushing snaps. That’s one hurry per every 12.0 pass rushing attempts.

UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, the first edge rusher who was drafted (15th to the Colts), had 81 pressures in 623 snaps, equaling one every 7.7. He had 24 college sacks.

So Robinson pressured the quarterback more often, per pass rush snap, than the player (Turner) who was widely considered the best edge player in the draft. And his pressure per snaps weren’t much lower than Latu’s.

Also, Robinson’s 18 percent pressure rate last season ranked sixth in college football. That led the Big Ten.

And consider this: Per Pro Football Focus, Robinson was tied for No. 3 nationally in pass rush win rate over the past two seasons at 20.9% --- behind only Latu (23.1%) and Florida State’s Jared Verse (22.1%), who both went ahead of Robinson in the draft.

Robinson said his pressures made an impact, even if standard statistics don’t necessarily reflect that.

“I feel a lot of times I got back there, I didn’t get to the quarterback but it affected the quarterback whether it was an interception, PBU [pass breakup] or my defensive end getting a sack,” Robinson said Friday before the first practice of the team’s two-day rookie mini-camp.

“Me getting back there doing my job caused a lot of” positive effects for Penn State.

That might explain why the modest sack numbers don’t bother Dolphins officials, even if they bother others.

“Since you guys have known me over the years, we’ve talked about the stats part,” general manager Chris Grier said. “For us, it’s an important part, but we’ve always talked about the ability to disrupt the passer.

“His disruption stuff numbers are all very high. For us, working through the analytics, watching him and what he does and contributes, sacks people always want to – the guy that comes to mind for me would be Danielle Hunter had four career sacks coming out of college, and he’s become a really good player in this league.

“I’m not putting that pressure on him to be Danielle Hunter, but it’s not just him; there are other players throughout the league that if you look at what their college numbers are compared to how they’ve had success in the pros – we think a lot of traits and the things you see on film translate.”

And consider this from NFL Films’ Greg Cosell:

“Most pass rushers in college need a larger array of moves. He certainly needs that; there’s no question. In terms of sudden, twitchy explosiveness on the edge, he may be the best guy in this draft. A lot of people who are not looking at tape will look at his sack total and say there’s not a lot of production.

“You’ve got to watch his tape. There are so many plays he beat tackles and didn’t get a sack for any number of reasons. There are times he needs to be a better finisher. Other times, the ball came out quick….He’s so quick and so fluid, generates speed and velocity.”

Robinson -- who is listed by the Dolphins at 6-3 and 254 pounds -- makes clear he prefers sacks to pressures; he had only four sacks last season, with two coming against FCS opponent Massachusetts.

“Of course I wanted sacks,” he said. “But I control what I can control, try to affect the quarterback as much as possible. If my teammate gets a sack, I’m just as happy as if I get a sack. If I’m not getting there, I know my teammate is getting there. That’s fine with me.”

He said he’s working on his hand usage, which could lead to more sacks, and is studying tape of “Nick Bosa, TJ Watt, guys like that. I know it’s more than just watching the players; I have to put in the work.”

MORE ON ROBINSON

Robinson’s passion for the game appealed to the Dolphins.

“Honestly, everything is just ball,” he said. If I’m not in the facility, if I’m not watching football, I’m probably playing video games. That’s about it. But most of the time I’m just watching ball or doing it.”

He plays the Madden football video game and “first it was the Ravens [Madden option] because I was hometown kid. I’m using the Dolphins now.”

▪ Here’s what his defensive line coach at Penn State said about him:

“He understands the game so well,” Deion Barnes said. “And always has had the determination to do whatever it takes to be the best he can be. He is a tireless worker who has spent a lot of extra time on his game in the field, in the weight room and in the film room. He has great speed, power and awareness, which are all important traits for a pass rusher and run stopper in the NFL.”

▪ PFF rated Robinson 68th of 1031 edge players against the run last season. That was ninth among all Big 10 edge players who had at least 140 run defense snaps.

So even though he had just 15 tackles in 10 games, his run defense is not viewed as a weakness.

▪ Robinson was used sparingly in pass coverage. He allowed two of the four passes thrown in his coverage area to be caught for 20 yards.

▪ Pro Football Focus called him an “athletic freak.” His 4.49 time in the 40 yard dash was first among edge rushers at the NFL Combine. His 10-8 broad jump was tied for first.

“Robinson is a gifted player athletically — likely on a level that is top of the class,” PFF said. “A lot of what leaves you wanting more from Robinson is coach-able. Unlocking that is the key for him to go from a boom-or-bust athlete to a dominant edge defender.”

NEWS NOTE

Though receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was guaranteed $3 million in his one-year deal with the Dolphins, his 2024 cap number will be only $2.1 million, per overthecap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald. That leaves Miami with $1.8 million in cap space.

An additional $18.5 million in cap space becomes available on June 1 because Xavien Howard previously was designated a post-June 1 cut.