2024 NFL Draft prospect profile: Darius Robinson, DL/EDGE, Missouri

Is the big Tiger a future Giant?

The New York Giants have invested heavily in the their defensive front over the last several seasons. They’re hoping that the investment will pay off with the arrival of Shane Bowen and a defense that’s more focused on the front seven.

But are they done?

The Giants have several athletic, bendy pass rushers on their roster, but they don’t have any edge defenders who trade in power. That, however, is the name of the game for Missouri EDGE Darius Robinson.

Robinson has steadily climbed up draft boards as more people have turned on Missouri’s defensive tape. He had a disappointing performance at the Combine, but Robinson’s tape is exciting. Could that mean a marriage of value and need for the Giants?

Prospect: Darius Robinson (6)
Games Watched: vs. Kansas State (2023), vs. Georgia (2023), vs. Tennessee (2023), vs. Ohio State (2023)

Measurables

Kent Lee Platte (@mathbomb) | RAS.football

Strengths

• Size
• Length
• Power
• Hand usage
• Run defense
• Competitive toughness

Darius Robinson is a big, long, powerful, and violent edge defender.

Robinson transitioned from the defensive interior to the edge in 2023, and his background on the interior definitely shows in his game. He has great length and size for an edge defender at 285 pounds and 34 ½ inch arms. Robinson combines that length and size with a surprisingly quick first step. He lacks the speed we’ve come to associate with the EDGE position, but he’s plenty explosive over the first two or three steps of his rush.

Robinson’s background in the interior also shows itself in how he attacks into the backfield. He’s a pure power rusher who’s game is almost completely devoid of subtlety. His rushes are all predicated around getting his hands on blockers first, getting them on their heels, then overwhelming them on his way into the backfield.

But while Robinson isn’t a subtle rusher, he isn’t unsophisticated, either. He has a relatively polished repertoire of counter moves that complement his bull rush. His go-to is a push-pull move that takes advantage of rushers anchoring against his power. He pairs that with a long-arm move to add a speed component, as well as an arm-over move that allows him to turn a tighter corner than he’s otherwise able.

Robinson is, predictably, a good run defender. He has plenty of power to stand up offensive tackles, or walk them into the backfield. That allows him to either eat blocks and allow his teammates to flow to the ball, or neutralize blocks and make plays as a runner presses his gap.

Weaknesses

• Long speed
• Bend

While Robinson is a tough and disruptive rusher, he isn’t a particularly athletic one. His 40 time resembles the interior defender he used to be, and his play can slow dramatically after his initial burst. He gains good ground in his first three steps, but ball carriers can out run him pretty easily if they get a step on him.

Robinson is also able to maintain his hip and pad level as a rusher, but he definitely isn’t a “bendy” edge. He has limited hip and ankle mobility, preventing him from turning particularly tight corners as a speed rusher. Likewise, Robinson has to rely on his length and strength to make plays in short areas, as he isn’t quick enough to match shifty players in close quarters.

Game Tape

(Robinson is Missouri EDGE number 6)

Projection

Darius Robinson projects as a starting edge defender in the NFL, though he may have a relatively narrow scheme fit for a highly drafted edge prospect.

Robinson will likely be best in a defense that’s based on 4-3 principles or runs a “multiple” front. He can play the 5-technique in an Under front, but it needs to be a 1-gap scheme, as he doesn’t quite have the mass to be a classic 2-gapping defensive lineman.

Robinson’s play strength, competitive toughness, and ability to defend the run as well as be disruptive in the passing game should make him popular with coaches. That said, he doesn’t have the raw athleticism to be a speed rusher at the NFL level, and that could force him down some teams’ boards. He could be a very good player in the right situation, but his future team will need to understand who he is as a defender in order to get the most out of him.

Does he fit the Giants?
Potentially, depending on the specifics of how they call their defense.

Final Word: A later first or early second round value