Darius Robinson NFL Draft Overview
With the heightened emphasis on NFL offenses getting the ball out quickly in space, The NFL defenses started to counter. NFL Defenses became faster and positioned less with huge dividends. A player who represents this is Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson. The former 3-star recruit out of Canton, Missouri, has risen quickly up the draft boards due to his size, speed, and strength. However, he’s also a very darn good football player. Robinson was late to football in high school, so he didn’t become a full-time starter for the Tigers until his senior season. Robinson was the first team in the SEC, finishing the season with 43 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and 14 tackles for loss. He displayed his inside-outside versatility and power, but did he show enough for his hype? Let’s dig into the film!
Position: Defensive End
Height: 6’5 (Unofficial)
Weight: 296 lbs (Unofficial)
School: Missouri
Darius Robinson Player Evaluation
Robinson’s Strengths
- Impressive build and thick frame to go with towering height. Extremely long arms.
- Excellent hand technique with a violent strike-first mentality.
- He can stack and shed easily due to their long arms and technique with the talent to make plays for loss.
- Great motor and reaction time skills to make hustle plays late in the down.
- You can play all three downs at 3technique to wide nine and not miss a beat. Special versatility
- Elite power rush, with an excellent push and pull plus swim move
- Total mismatch for guards. The interior offensive line needs help to handle his quickness and strength in his hands.
Robinson’s Weakness
- He does not have elite first-step explosiveness. More of a strider
- Spin move is a work in progress, but it is an encouraging sign.
- He can rely too much on the power bull rush and needs to trust his other pass-rush moves more.
- He does not have an elite bend around the edge.
Projection: Mid to Late First-Round Pick
NFL Comparison: Denico Autry
Best Fits: Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and the Indianapolis Colts
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that Darius Robinson is what events like the Senior Bowl are made for. Before the event in Mobile, most mocks didn’t even have his picture; now, he’s everywhere, and rightfully so. Robinson has impressive height, weight, speed, and athletic profile, with great strength and motor. My NFL pro comparison for Robinson is former Tennessee Titan defensive lineman Denico Autry. Like Autry, Robinson is a versatile menace with extremely long arms and a great motor. Both have what would have used to be classified as a negative “tweener” build, but in the modern NFL, it’s very coveted. The ability to play the run like a defensive tackle but move like a defensive end with inside-outside versatility and pass rush makes Autry one of the best in the NFL.
Robinson’s diverse skill set fits every scheme. He would work best next to an established elite pass rusher who needs help. This would allow Robinson to make an immediate day-one impact while also easing the pressure as he develops. Teams like the Bears, Vikings, and Colts have superstar defensive linemen who need help, and Robinson would certainly fit the build. Robinson has All-pro potential and is one of the best players in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Main Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
