CHARLOTTE—The Panthers pass rush has come alive in recent weeks. After nine sacks and 20 quarterback hurries in the first eight weeks of the season, the defense has notched 16 sacks and 29 quarterback hurries in the last five games.

There are a few reasons for that: increased chemistry amongst a defense that saw a lot of new faces and injuries or the addition of D.J. Wonnum and then Amaré Barno, allowing for more push and helping to free up Jadeveon Clowney.

One of the more surprising factors though is the pass rush Carolina is getting from defensive end A'Shawn Robinson.

"I think this is the most opportunities I ever had to rush in my career and I'm capitalizing on them," Robinson said Sunday following the Panthers game against the Eagles, a smile he couldn't keep away taking over his face.

The smile was a message, he said.

"It's a shot to everybody that discredited me in my whole career, said I couldn't pass rush."

Robinson is now in his ninth season in the league. Three of them were in LA with the Rams. Ejiro Evero was a coach on that defense and has some insight as to why Robinson didn't receive too many pass rush opportunities with the Rams from 2020-2022.

"Well, I think the major reason that he didn't get much pass rush in LA is because Aaron Donald got to the quarterback too fast," laughed Evero.

But now as the defensive coordinator for the Panthers, Evero is reaping the benefits of a Robinson on a mission.

So far this season, Robinson has taken 262 pass rush snaps, which is approximately 47.45 percent of the total snaps he has taken. On those snaps, he has 20 quarterback pressures. The pass rush snap total and QBP total are third highest in his career, with four games still to play. He already has a career high 4.5 sacks, is coming off the block in an average of 1.14 seconds and has produced a positive pass rush snap for the defense on 41.6 percent of said snaps.

"I've been the best player since I came from college to the NFL. And you can say whatever you want to say, statistically it shows, film shows itself," Robinson declared. "So, I believe myself on a high level who I am, and I know who I am."

The natural inclination is to turn on said film and see said message. But Robinson has played a total of 4,275 snaps in his career—and counting—and there are only so many hours in the day. Instead, we asked those who see not only the snaps, but the work up close, and all that has gone into turning A'Shawn Robinson into a premiere pass rusher in 2024.

His Coaches

Evero, as mentioned, has seen Robinson evolve in this defensive, from Los Angeles to Charlotte. And with no Aaron Donald here to single handedly dominate the pass rush, Robinson is starting to flourish in Evero's scheme.

"A'Shawn is a heck of a player, big, strong physical, and what he really excels at is pushing that pocket," Evero bragged of his defensive end. "So, he's done a heck of a job of that. He's shown some twitch, and some get off and just not only in the pass rush game but just in totality.

"He's just a hell of a player and he's really done a great job. He's been a force in the run game as well and we're just so pleased to have him."

This is the first time Dave Canales has coached a team that featured Robinson, although he did coach against him in the same division for three seasons. He's seen what the Alabama product does to opponents and now he sees how Robinson elevates his teammates.

"First and foremost, as a guy, just the character of the guy, like the effort that he plays with when he's out there, the strain, the commitment to really playing physical football. And wanting that as a group, he's central to that identity for a group of just playing hard and he shows it.

"That's the way he plays, and he brings a lot of passion, just really cares, a lot of pride in what he does. And then, he came into this season in great shape, you know.

"I hadn't been around him, but for him, he was like, 'This is the best shape I've been in a while.' And he committed himself to taking care of his body coming into this year. So, he just made himself available and taking the taking advantage of his opportunities."

His Fellow Trench Player

Wonnum has only played four games with Robinson, after the former spent the first half of the season on the physically unable to perform list. But those four games have been enough for Wonnum—the Panthers primary rusher opposite Clowney— to assign a grade to Robinson's skills in the field.

"Oh, an A," Wonnum quipped. "You been watching the film lately? He's been jumping off the tape."

"I just feel like he's just going out there playing free. He's the heart. He brings a lot of passion to this defense, and I just feel like he's going out there and playing with the same thing.

"He's a dog. I love him being on my side. We call it the dark side on the right side."

His Opposing Linemen

Few know how a particular pass rusher can change a game more than the offensive linemen tasked with stopping him. At times during offseason training such as training camp, the man who drew that assignment was left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.

"Obviously, we've had some battles throughout and so I got a little bit of, a little insight into that," Ekwonu smiled, a man who had been faced with a tall challenge and lived to tell the tale. "But obviously, you can tell it was a point of emphasis for him. Just obviously, he's being a leader on that field as well. But growing into that side of his game, it's definitely been fun to see how impactful he's been in the pass rush.

"Obviously, he got the frame to do some damage in the run game. So, it makes it that much scarier when he can move that well in the pass game too."

Guard Robert Hunt has not only faced down Robinson in practice, he's done so in a game when the two played for different teams. At the time, Hunt recalled this week, Robinson was often pulled to the sideline on third down.

In Carolina, he's asked/allowed to stay on the field and do his worst.

"Here he gets a chance to pass rush and he's showing people and showing us and teams that he's capable of doing that," Hunt offered as to the jump in Robinson's stats this season.

"So, he's doing a good job, man. He's got, he kind of knows he got a plan that he wants to go with, and he's been doing a good job and it's fun to see a big boy like that get some sacks."

That plan has changed some this season, as he's been allowed to stand up more. That in and of itself should terrify offensive linemen, Hunt can testify.

"I would think he's going to go with power, right? So that was my thing. I would say all right, this big boy, he looks strong, he got big arms on him, big muscles. He's bald headed," Hunt offered as to how Robinson can fool offensive linemen with his rush moves.

"So, like I would be like, OK, he's going to bull me, like, he's going to use power. And then he get into the two point (stance) and he get the [eh, eh, demonstrates pass rush moves that can't be properly translated into words] and then it would confuse me and then that's when he gets the sack. But it's like a big bald head guy. Like, he has power. You can see it through the helmet. Like he's strong.

"If I saw him standing up, then I'll get a little nervous because I wouldn't expect that. He's probably like 26 with that bald head, bro."

Robinson's 29 years old, but that is beside the point.

Whether scheme, opportunity or just pure determined doggedness to prove people wrong, A'Shawn Robinson is having a career year as a pass-rusher. And as long as the plays are there to be made, Robinson plans on making them.

"I just take what comes to me, man and God has a plan," Robinson said. "All I got to do is just dominate. That's what I plan on doing. That's what I've been doing."