The Miami Dolphins are entering their 2026 campaign without a ton of top-level talent on their roster, and with that, they're expected to struggle to compete in most of their matchups throughout the season.
However, there are some players who could really impact Miami's performance this year, including linebacker Chop Robinson, who ESPN's Benjamin Solak recently identified
as their X factor for 2026."It's hard to get a framework for an X factor in Miami because the Dolphins are -- by the admission of their head coach -- not really measuring success in wins and losses this year," Solak wrote. "As such, the X factor is a player who might develop into a core piece of the future Dolphins, thus saving them from spending another draft pick or free
agent contract at that position.
"So, I'll take Robinson, who had a strong rookie season in 2024 but took a step back in 2025. Robinson is a speed rusher who needs to win with a wicked first step, and those players can run hot and cold. His get-off remained roughly the same (0.76 seconds in 2024 to 0.81 seconds in 2025), but his quick pressure rate fell from 7.4% to 4.4%."
Robinson is Miami's top pass rusher for the first time in his NFL career after the departures of Jaelan Phillips at last year's trade deadline and Bradley Chubb this offseason. This is an opportunity for the former first-round pick to prove himself.
Through two seasons, Robinson has recorded 47 tackles, 21 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, five passes defensed and one forced fumble. Those numbers are horrendous, but they certainly don't jump off the page.
After bulking up over the offseason, he should be primed to take on a bigger role and make life difficult for opposing offensive coordinators, offensive tackles and quarterbacks. If he doesn't improve as expected, there's a chance that the Dolphins don't give him a fifth-year option for 2028 next offseason, and he'll be fighting for his future in 2027.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: NFL analyst picks one of Miami's young LBs as their 2026 X factor
