Darius Robinson enters his first training camp since the Arizona Cardinals selected him in the first round. He’s gotten a couple of practices under his belt, with his goal to improve every day.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Before training camp, he was at Las Vegas for a Sack Summit hosted by Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Crosby is a player that Robinson looks up to, known for a nonstop motor and an impressive array of pass-rushing moves, with 52.0 career sacks in just five seasons.
“Yeah, it was a surreal moment,” said Robinson in his post-practice presser, with the video uploaded to the Cardinals’ YouTube channel. “Like, that was my favorite player last season to watch, so to be up close and learn from him. But it really showed me a lot of those guys, like, they’re superstars, but it’s all about being a superstar, being consistent.”
Robinson says those are good habits he seeks to build. The constant attention to detail about optimizing his hands, feet, and other techniques in order to defeat blockers. He wants to play fast, play hard, play with a strong motor, and be the most consistent version of himself.
As a rookie trying to establish himself, he’ll be asked to play a lot of roles. He could play as far inside as the 3-technique, lining up across the guard’s outside shoulder, or as far outside as the 9-technique, the tight end’s outside shoulder. That type of versatility is an asset to have, not only to get their best pass rushers on the field but also to attack the weakness on the opposing offensive line.
At the same time, playing all those different spots can be intimidating for a rookie. However, Robinson is not your average rookie. Before playing his first NFL down, he’s already earned a master’s degree in Education at the University of Missouri. However, he feels confident he can handle all those assignments.
“Just a defensive lineman. I mean, I line up, I can play anywhere. So wherever coach wants to put me, I’m going to line up and do to the best of my ability. But I’ve got to make sure I’m working my technique and fundamentals so I can be ready to play when my number’s called.”
Asked about if his preparation is different entering the NFL, he said that the lineman can only go left, right, forward, or back. He believes picking one of the four and playing fast will help him win, so he just thinks about that and works on honing his technique. That the discipline that’s been instilled by his mother at a young age.
In his first camp, he’s learned from Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols. Both players were picked up early in free agency by the Cardinals, as they try to upgrade their defensive line.
“I love our meetings. I just sit back, take notes, listen to dialogue because a lot of times they’ll say something I was thinking but I didn’t really want to ask because I wasn’t sure, but then it’s like, okay, it gives you more clarification. So it’s awesome being in a room with those two vets, and we’re going to have a really good D-line this year.”
An improved defensive line would be huge for the Cardinals. They allowed the most rushing yards and the fourth worst yards per carry in the NFL in 2023. Better run defense would put them in better down and distance situations on defense, allowing them to be able to pin their ears back and rush the passer on third downs. Arizona’s defense struggled to get opposing offenses off the field, with 47.3% of third downs being successfully converted.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
