With all the buzz going around about how Chop is flashing hard I thought I would see what folks thought and think about this dude. I think he’s a facinating study of a unique different type of player. Speed usually translates if the player has instincts. Speed doesn’t translate if the player doesn’t. If one wants to argue about his instincts that’s where he will make it or not, I believe he does, they happen at a lighting play speed, and sometimes it ain’t pretty, but his instincts to disrupt the pocket are there. I think the debate lyes in production and value of how he plays. If disrupting the timing of all plays is placed at a premium he’ll be a star, if you want sack leader perhaps not. I think his impact lyes in the play before the play if that makes any sense. I would expect a play where he leaves his post and someone gets the inside or outside edge on him, and the next play will cause chaos and a turnover. For chop to be a star he’s gonna need to learn to be a bit caculated and choose some consistency over chaos. Bottom line for me is, and was all in predraft, I’ve never quite seen a style of play like him and that’s a good thing.
He got knocked for moving the QB without taking him to the ground in college. With that being said, offensive coordinators made plans to account for him because he moved them a lot. That reminds me of Christian Wilkins' first few seasons where we all knew he was pushing the middle and disrupting the QB without getting sacks. He got a lot of praise because he was creating opportunities for other players. Chop will have an impact if he can either bring the QB down or chase him into the waiting arms of a teammate. If he is as advertised, we don't need him to be a 10 sack guy because he might make Chubb or Phillips 15 sack guys. I can't wait to see him in action playing on the other side of one or the other of those two.
My view of his college tape is that he is the opposite of another high round Dolphins draft pick - Dion Jordan. Dion had plenty of flash stats to go with his athletic numbers, but when you turned on his highlight reel it was full of plays where he got sacks because he was left unblocked or only had to defeat a low talent scrub. Chop's tape is full of plays where he doesn't get the sack but works hard and uses technique and recognition to disrupt the play.
That sounds very accurate. If he is blowing up the pocket , the actual sacks might fall to someone else.
I loved the college player and wanted him, I didn’t know he was one troubled human being that had no desire to be a pro.
I hated it. Dude looked high in his very first photo with the team. I was excited they traded up, thought they would get a tackle....
I went back and looked at the first round of the 2013 draft - what a wasteland. Dion Jordan was a bad pick among many; what made it truly abysmal was that they traded up for him and the player selected immediately afterwards was Lane Johnson, who would have solidified a spot on the OL for a decade. Ouch.
Didn’t see a lot of him in college, but heard a lot of good things prior to the draft. Comes across as likeable and motivated in interviews. Everything I hear out of camp has been positive - two things stand out, though: praise from the OL and hearing that he’s asking veterans for pointers.
