With the 22nd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected pass rusher Charles Harris of Missouri.
It did not work out. At all.
Harris has improved in his last three seasons — with Detroit. But in 41 games with the Dolphins, Harris posted only 3.5 sacks. That much-hyped and explosive first step was never seen in South Florida.
Would Miami general manager Chris Grier have Harris on his mind if another vaunted Missouri pass rusher was on the board at Pick 21 on April 25?
Grier shouldn’t.
Darius Robinson like Harris, was productive in Columbia, Missouri.
But he did it in a totally different way. Robinson’s superpower isn’t speed, but power.
Lots and lots of power.
“I’m going to play physical, I’m going to run, I’m going hit somebody,” Robinson said at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Robinson, 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, is an edge rusher who has played defensive tackle.
“I would say that I’m the best,’ Robinson said, asked to compare himself to other pass rushers in the draft. “I play every position. I can play from a zero to a nine. I can do everything.”
Robinson had 8.5 sacks last season.
Darius Robinson running through two blockers.
So much power. Looks dominant at times. pic.twitter.com/Tn3jGRhBgF— The GOAT House (@GoatHouseNFL) April 8, 2024
As much as Miami could use an offensive lineman in the first two rounds of the upcoming NFL Draft, it could be argued edge rusher is even more pressing.
Yes, Miami has added veteran Shaq Barrett. But remember, nobody can say with certainty when Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb – coming off season-ending injuries – will return to the field. And nobody can say how long it will take them to get up to speed.
Either in free agency or the draft, Miami must add at least one contributing edge rusher.
“He has jarring power in his hands and a twitchy upper body to get rid of blockers quickly,” NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein says of Robinson. “His arm length is a weapon at the point of attack.”
NFL Draft: Comparisons for Missouri’s Darius Robinson
NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah compares Robinson to long-time 49er Arik Armstead.
“As a pass rusher, he wins on the edge primarily with a violent push/pull move,” Jeremiah says. “He will flash some other means to get home, including a club/rip maneuver or a pop/separate/close move. He doesn’t have a dynamic first step, but his raw power showed up in every game I studied.”
Robinson’s versatility should be an asset. He can dominate against the run from the edge, when combating an offensive tackle. And he can be a problematic inside rusher, when attacking the shoulder of a guard.
Robinson said he models his game after Chris Jones of the Chiefs and Maxx Crosby of the Raiders.
“Five years from now, I want (people to) be like, ‘Darius is like Chris Jones,'” Robinson said. “That would be an awesome accomplishment. He’s a great player, man. I watch a lot of his tape.”
If the top offensive linemen and receivers on Miami’s board are gone at No. 21, they may have a choice between edge rushers Robinson, Chop Robinson of Penn State and/or Jared Verse of Florida State.
NFL Draft 2024: Edge rusher for Miami Dolphins?
Any of those three players could contribute in 2024.
And there is no doubt the approach Darius Robinson would bring.
“You’ve got to set everything up with power, man,” he said. “Just give me an opportunity to put my cleats in the ground.”
NFL Draft