Cardinals: Darius Robinson already shining with his football smarts and instincts

The young man is preparing like a veteran already.

Darius Robinson runs drills with local high schoolers at the Cardinals girls flag football clinic on June 1, 2024 in Tempe, Ariz. / Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY

The Arizona Cardinals returned with quite the haul in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. First, it was Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. who landed in Arizona, then they doubled up in the backend by selecting defensive end Darius Robinson.

The early returns on both are promising. Harrison Jr. is already establishing himself as WR1, and now Robinson is winning over his coaches and teammates as well. A senior from Missouri, Robinson has played a ton of football at a variety of spots along the defensive line, and that has translated to the NFL level.

His football wits are taking over, and ESPN's Josh Weinfuss documents it best:

"Robinson has made some early impressions on coaches and teammates with his football instincts. Coach Jonathan Gannon said Robinson is 'doing a really good job of where he needs to get aligned, what's he doing with each call and then moving around a couple different positions. He's doing a good job handling that.' Veteran defensive lineman Justin Jones echoed Gannon's feelings and said he thinks Robinson will play as long as he wants in the NFL because of his smarts and strength."

- ESPN's Josh Weinfuss

Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson greets NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and shows off his Arizona Cardinals jersey after he was picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft at the NFL draft theater in Detroit on Thursday, April 25, 2024. / Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK

It's one thing for a coach to praise a player in media availability, but it's another thing for veteran teammates to do the same as well. Given the depth along the defensive line in Arizona, Robinson will be counted on to play a great deal of snaps in year-one.

And he is up for the challenge.

Mizzou EDGE Darius Robinson might not be as explosive as other top pass rushers in the class, but his power and hand usage is fantastic. Could be a highly impactful starter on Day 2 pic.twitter.com/hPaK9CD2Gr

— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) February 7, 2024