Dolphins rookie Chop Robinson not overthinking his preseason debut

Miami Dolphins rookie linebacker Chop Robinson is set to make his first appearance in an NFL game this Saturday after being inactive for the first preseason contest.

Coincidentally, Robinson will be debuting against his hometown team, the Washington Commanders.

“My dad is a big Commanders fan and he loves the Commanders, especially when Kirk Cousins was there, Alex Smith, all those guys,” Robinson said Wednesday.

It’s all business for Robinson, though. While he’s the most anticipated rookie for Dolphins fans this preseason, the young edge rusher is keeping the moment in perspective.

“I just try not to overthink it,” Robinson said. “Just go out there, play football, and have fun. At the end of the day, it’s just football, so just go out there, listen to my coaches. I know the playbook so I just go out there and play.”

The Dolphins selected Robinson with the No. 21 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. While the Dolphins may have had more glaring needs entering the draft, general manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel couldn’t ignore the elite talent Robinson is. When McDaniel spoke with reporters Wednesday, he expressed optimism about Robinson’s impact on the team.

“You have a lot of hopes for first-round draft picks when they come in to your team,” McDaniel said. “I think the under-the-radar one that’s very important is how that player is going to handle being a first-round draft pick on that team. Your peers, you’re joining a bunch of paid professionals that have been doing their specific role for years and all they want is a first-round draft pick to come in and help towards the cause.

“I think for Chop, he has gone about it the way you’d want, you’d really hope from a player perspective to really add value to the team because he is really earning the respect of his teammates each and every day.”

The Dolphins are hopeful their first-round selection will pay dividends as he learns from star edge rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb. Robinson will likely play in a rotational role similar to the role Andrew Van Ginkel played a year ago.