Anonymous Coaches Praise New Cardinals Draft Pick

Darius Robinson will have a solid career at the next level, according to college coaches.
Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson greets NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and shows off his
Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson greets NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and shows off his / Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK
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ARIZONA -- Much of the fanfare and attention for the Arizona Cardinals' 2024 draft haul has gone to Marvin Harrison Jr. - and perhaps rightfully so. Harrison - drafted at No. 4 - has potential to mirror his father's Hall of Fame footsteps and instantly upgraded Arizona's offense overnight.

Yet their second of two first-round picks in Darius Robinson also looks to leave his mark early and often on the other side of the ball.

Harrison will sell the jerseys, but Robinson will look to wreck offensive game-plans on a weekly basis on what's been a fully reloaded Cardinals defensive line.

"I'm glad he showed out at the Senior Bowl because I saw it in person," an SEC coordinator told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "He's strong, he's violent, he's twitchy. He's what you look for in an NFL D-tackle."

Another coach said, "He's an all-around player: Pass-rusher but heavy-handed, can play the run, do a lot of different things, more athletic than you think, great size, good player. He can't play the 3-technique, but he can play 4 [technique]."

Robinson checked two boxes for Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon: versatile and violent.

Violent, violent, violent. He's really good in the run and pass game and can win in multiple spots in both the run and the pass game," Gannon told reporters after Round 1.

Robinson said he knew Arizona was the team for him from the start.

“I wasn’t antsy. I knew AZ was the one for me since the beginning of this process," he said after being drafted. "They were one of the first teams that met with me at the combine and one of the first teams that met with me at the Senior Bowl. I’m really excited to be there and just ready to put that work in.”


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Donnie Druin

DONNIE DRUIN

Donnie Druin is the Publisher for All Cardinals and Inside The Suns. Donnie moved to Arizona in 2012 and has been with Fan Nation since 2018. In college he won "Best Sports Column" in the state of Arizona for his section and has previously provided coverage for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona State Sun Devils. Follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin for more news, updates, analysis and more!