Examining how Robinson, edge players drafted after him are doing. And Dolphins injury news

When the Dolphins drafted Chop Robinson in April, the question was whether the tantalizing athletic skills — and his ability to apply pressure on the quarterback at Penn State — would translate into a high volume of sacks and consistent production.

So far, the answers are neither encouraging nor crushing.

Robinson doesn’t have a sack through seven NFL games. But his pressure rate (11 pressures in 104 pass rushing snaps) isn’t bad; his pressure success rate win percentage is 33rd of 84 edge players who have rushed the quarterback at least 100 times this season, per Pro Football Focus.

But here’s the glass-half-empty way of looking at it: There are 83 edge players who have rushed the quarterback at least 100 times in 2024. Among those 83, Robinson is one of only four who does not have a sack.

The others: New Orleans’ Cameron Jordan (147 pass rush snaps), Atlanta’s Arnold Ebiketie (138) and Cincinnati’s Joseph Ossai (129).

Since Jaelan Phillips went down with an ACL injury against Tennessee, Robinson has rushed the quarterback 63 times and has six pressures to show for it. PFF rated him Miami’s second-worst player in Sunday’s loss to Arizona.

Is the “getting-his-first-sack” concern hanging over his head?

“Of course I would like to get it,” he said. “I know eventually it will come. Keep rushing. Last year, the Defensive Rookie of the Year took until Week 10 to get a sack.”

Houston’s Will Anderson, who won that award, actually had a sack in the opener but then went six straight games without one before finishing with seven.

Overall, PFF ranks Robinson 84th among 104 edge rushers this season.

“I’m definitely progressing,” he said.

So could the Dolphins have drafted a better pass rusher in the first three rounds?

Only seven outside linebackers or defensive ends were drafted between Miami’s selection of Robinson 21st overall and the end of the third round (pick No. 100).

Only one of those seven — Denver’s Jonah Elliss — has outplayed Robinson.

Ellis has two sacks, three tackles for loss and 17 tackles in eight games and 213 snaps for the Broncos. By contrast, Robinson has 10 tackles, including two for loss, and no sacks in 205 defensive snaps.

Ellis was drafted 76th — 55 spots after Robinson. Nobody projected Ellis as a first-round pick.

But the Ellis/Robinson comparison is the classic case of production vs. projection.

Robinson was universally considered the better pro prospect because of superior athletic traits.

Ellis was far more productive last season, with 12 sacks, 37 tackles and 13 tackles for loss for Utah.

Robinson, conversely, had only four sacks, 15 tackles and eight for loss for Penn State last year.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier has said the Dolphins value pressure as much as sacks and wasn’t concerned that Robinson had only two sacks last season against Power 5 teams (Iowa and Rutgers).

But Miami, with only nine sacks in seven games, needs more than pressures, especially with Phillips out for the season and Bradley Chubb not close to returning from his torn ACL sustained last December.

Excluding Ellis, the six other edge rushers selected after Robinson during the first two days of the draft haven’t done any more than Robinson or, in some cases, as much:

▪ Arizona’s Darius Robinson, selected 27th, hasn’t played this season because of a calf injury. He returned to practice this week.

▪ Dallas’ Marshawn Kneeland, picked 56th, has 10 tackles and no sacks in seven games and 112 defensive snaps.

▪ Tampa Bay’s Chris Braswell, picked 57th, has 11 tackles and half a sack in eight games and 192 defensive snaps.

▪ Atlanta’s Bralen Trice, chosen 74th, sustained a season-ending torn ACL in the preseason opener.

▪ Baltimore’s Adissa Isaac, chosen 93rd, has played only 14 defensive snaps.

▪ Philadelphia’s Jalyx Hunt, picked 94th, has one sack and one tackle in 17 defensive snaps.

The two players selected immediately after Robinson have been much better — Philadelphia cornerback and 22nd overall pick Quinyon Mitchell (has started every game; 79.8 passer rating in his coverage area) and Jacksonville receiver and 23rd pick Brian Thomas Jr., who has 33 catches for 573 yards and five touchdowns before sustaining a rib injury on Sunday against Green Bay.

THIS AND THAT

▪ Defensive lineman Zach Sieler, recovering from a fractured orbital bone, missed practice for the second day in a row, leaving his status dubious for Sunday’s game at Buffalo (1 p.m., CBS).

Sieler was in the locker room, without any bandage or covering on his face or left eye, and seemed in good spirits while speaking with teammates. He’s off limits to reporters until he practices.

Asked when he expects to see Sieler in the lineup again, defensive lineman Calais Campbell said: “I don’t think he knows. He wants to play this game. It might be a stretch. But we’ll see.”

▪ Also missing practice on Thursday: tight end Julian Hill (shoulder), safety Jevon Holland (hand and knee) and cornerback Kader Kohou (neck).

▪ Eight players were limited practice participants on Thursday: receiver Tyreek Hill (foot), left tackle Terron Armstead (rest/knee), linebackers Jordyn Brooks (hamstring/wirst) and Emmanuel Ogbah (biceps), defensive tackle Benito Jones (knee), receiver River Cracraft (shoulder), fullback Alec Ingold (calf) and cornerback Storm Duck (ankle).

The Ingold injury is a new one. Tyreek Hill, who sat out Wednesday for rest, was also listed with a foot injury on Thursday’s injury report. He played through the foot injury against Arizona.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver said Ogbah has a tear in the biceps.

Ogbah said Thursday that the injury won’t require surgery.

“It’s just something that needs to rest and heal, but I don’t have time [for that],” Ogbah said. “The team needs me. I don’t like losing. I’ve got to go out there and put in my best effort....

“We play a violent game. A lot of guys play with a lot of bumps and bruises. You’ve got to play through stuff sometimes. It’s all good. Wrap it up and go out there and play ball the best I can.”

▪ Long snapper Blake Ferguson, who went on the NFL non-football injury list the day before the Colts game, has been spotted in the locker room this week after missing two games for personal reasons.

Under the league’s IR rules, Ferguson is required to sit out two more games. If he returns to the active roster this season, he would count among eight players that the Dolphins are permitted to bring back off IR. The Dolphins have used three of those eight designated-to-return slots on Tua Tagovailoa, cornerback Cam Smith and Cracraft, who remains on IR.

Long snapper Matt Overton, who joined the Dolphins’ practice squad when Ferguson went on IR, can be elevated for only one more game. So for the Nov. 11 game at the Rams, the Dolphins must either sign Overton to the 53-man roster or sign a different long snapper to the practice squad and elevate him.

Ferguson cannot discuss his situation publicly because players on IR are not available for interviews.

Here’s my Thursday piece with news from defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and other notes.