Cardinals Rookie Shines, Earns 'A' Grade in Debut

Arizona Cardinals DL Darius Robinson displayed everything the team saw on his college tape.

Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson (56) roams the sidelines during a game against the Saints at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

ARIZONA -- Arizona Cardinals rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson impressed in his preseason debut - despite not filling up the box score.

Robinson registered just one tackle during his time on the field against New Orleans, though what he displayed on tape was rather strong and provided a glimpse into the powerful (and versatile) defensive lineman he could be at the next level.

Darius Robinson man-handling the saints RG on 2 plays of the first drive 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/Uw6rpFTQ1Y

— K1SinceDay1 (@KSzn2021) August 11, 2024

Robinson was just one of five rookies to earn an "A" grade for their preseason debuts from NFL.com:

"Robinson played just 10 snaps during the Cardinals' loss to the Saints, but that was enough time for him to provide a glimpse into why Arizona used a first-round pick to secure his services in April. His strength and quickness appeared on the first play of the game, as he stayed with right tackle Trevor Penning down the line to stop Alvin Kamara after a five-yard run," wrote Chad Reuter.

"The former Missouri Tiger then shed veteran guard Cesar Ruiz with strong hands and a quick first step on second down. Robinson forced his way to the quarterback on third down on the second series, reaching through the left guard with his plus length to hit Derek Carr just after he threw the ball.

"Penning couldn't reach the quick Robinson on a run play on the next series and then drew a holding call on the next snap after preventing Robinson from chasing the scrambling quarterback to the outside. The small sample of plays exhibited what a nice fit Robinson will be for Arizona's defense."

Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon would agree with that assessment:

“He looked good. I thought he looked good. I need to watch some tape on that but I saw that he made one play in there. I saw him get pounded on a double and they didn’t move him, so he looked good," Gannon said after the game.

Robinson looks to build on his success as the Cardinals fly back east to play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2.