By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Southfield Sun | Published May 8, 2024
SOUTHFIELD — If the Arizona Cardinals were looking for a hard-nosed football player, they came to the right place.
On April 25 in front of a sea of NFL fans from across the country, the Cardinals selected Southfield native and Canton High School graduate Class of 2019 Darius Robinson with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Robinson, a standout defensive lineman and team captain for the University of Missouri, patiently waited to hear his name called in the green room as the first round inched closer and closer to the end.
As Robinson put on the Cardinals’ hat and held his jersey in front of the Detroit crowd filled with his friends and family, he said it was a moment he’ll never forget.
“This is an amazing opportunity,” Robinson said in an interview with ESPN after his selection. “I really want to thank the Arizona Cardinals for believing in me. I’m just really excited for this opportunity. I got all my family and friends here to support me, and it’s time to go to work.”
A force on the Tigers defensive line last season, Robinson was named First-team all-SEC after leading the Tigers in sacks (8.5) and tackles for a loss (14) while adding 43 total tackles.
Robinson elevated his draft stock with an impressive showing at the senior bowl, a national showcase for NFL draft prospects, displaying power and his physical attributes that should make him a matchup nightmare at the next level.
Robinson stands 6-foot-5, with an arm length of 34½ inches, and NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein described him as a pass rusher with “jarring power in his hands” and having “arm length that is a weapon at the point of attack.”
Robinson spent the better part of his career on the interior side of the defensive line at Missouri but switched to edge at the end of his tenure, flourishing as a pass rusher and run stopper.
Versatility is always something teams will jump at the chance to have, and Robinson said he prides himself on his ability to play anywhere at any time.
“It doesn’t matter,” Robinson said in a predraft interview with NFL on NBC. “That’s the thing I keep telling everybody. I can play every position from a zero to a nine. I play fast and I play physical, so just let me put my cleats to the ground and let’s work.”
The Cardinals could use all the help they can get on the defensive line as they were the third-worst team in the league in sacks last season, tallying 33.
Robinson was the Cardinals’ second selection in the first round as they added much-needed firepower to the offense with the addition of The Ohio State University wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who was selected fourth overall.
Robinson is the first Missouri player drafted in the first round since 2017, when the Miami Dolphins selected defensive end Charles Harris 22nd overall.