MIAMI -- The Miami Dolphins have no shortage of veteran pass rushers from whom rookie Chop Robinson can learn; Jaelan Phillips, Bradley Chubb and Emmanuel Ogbah have all found success at the NFL level and have helped him acclimate to the pro game.
But last week, an unexpected veteran approached him after practice -- left tackle Terron Armstead. He'd noticed certain blocking techniques giving him trouble.
The next day, Armstead said Robinson was already applying what he'd taught him the day before; color him impressed.
Robinson, the Dolphins' first-round pick in this year's draft, joined a situation that, on paper, didn't require him to make an immediate impact. But with Phillips and Chubb still rehabbing season-ending injuries from 2023, Robinson received additional reps throughout the offseason. Chubb will start the season on the physically unable to perform list. So for at least the first four games of this season, Miami will rely on Robinson to help bolster its pass rush.
"Just getting an offensive perspective, especially against one of the greatest, just learning from him," Robinson said of Armstead. "I go against him in practice and he's doing things that I've never seen before from an O-lineman. ... He gave me tips on how I could work on that -- I can't tell the tips, but it definitely worked. I used it today and it definitely worked. I appreciate him for that, I'm just learning."
The defensive end from Penn State drew comparisons to another former Nittany Lion, Micah Parsons, particularly after running a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the combine. His production didn't match his traits, though, with 11.5 sacks in three collegiate seasons.
Robinson attributed his low sack numbers to a lack of technical consistency, particularly with his hand placement. Throughout the draft process, however, Dolphins general manager Chris Grier was more impressed by Robinson's traits than he was concerned about his production.
"His disruption numbers are all very high," Grier said in April. "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."
Speed helps, and Robinson has plenty to burn. But part of Armstead's lesson to the rookie was that speed doesn't win your matchups -- not by itself, at least.
The goal, Armstead said, is for Robinson to develop a well-rounded game that, when coupled with his speed, would make him nearly unblockable.
"When you can add in the other things -- when you've got the speed and the power, then the movement. You know what I mean?" Armstead said. "Versatility is the hardest thing, not just one thing. If you've got one trick, you're going to have a quiet day."
The early returns on Robinson's offseason are positive. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa named him the Dolphins' most improved player over the past few months.
"I think Chop has grown a lot from the first time he's gotten here," Tagovailoa said. "Earlier throughout OTAs -- although I was only here for a certain amount of time in OTAs -- but I think he's done really good, and he's earned a lot of respect from the guys in the locker room, from a lot of veterans. So I'll be curious to see what he does to help us to win some games this year."
The Dolphins host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Phillips was activated from the PUP list midway through the preseason, but it remains to be seen whether Miami will keep him on a snap count.
Either way, Robinson figures to rotate frequently as one of the Dolphins' top three pass rushers. When he's on the field, he feels confident that he'll be able to apply the advice he has received from his veteran teammates -- and feels lucky to be in the position he's in.
"I'm blessed to be here. It's a whole bunch of vets here that are not selfish," he said. "They want everybody to be great. We're all a team, so everybody just wants the best out of everybody. [Armstead is] the best, so I appreciate him."