Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson is getting ready for a reset of sorts in his pro career. Selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft as the 27th pick of that class by the Cards, Robinson did not quite live up to the billing, in large part because he missed a ton of games.
The former Missouri Tigers star missed several games to start his rookie year in the league as he dealt with a calf injury. He only made his NFL debut in Week 12 of the regular season.
In addition, he also dealt with the death of his mother, Valori, during the 2024 campaign.
But he’s now seemingly moved on from the trials and challenges of 2024, as he looks forward to making a bigger impact on the Cardinals.
“I just know it’s going to be something crazy,” Robinson told the media about his thoughts for the coming season (h/t Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports).
“Last year was like the hardest year of my life but then it was the best year of my life in the same year,” Robinson said. “I definitely felt the lowest, but I’ve also felt the highest. I’m ready to get back to the highest point and I know what it takes, a lot of hard work. I’m just super excited for this year.”

Arizona Cardinals defense has work to do

The Cardinals showed improvement in their record in the 2024 season. While they still missed the NFL playoffs just like in the previous two seasons, they went from a four-win team in 2023 to an eight-win club in 2024. However, Arizona’s defense ranked only 16th in the NFL with just an average of 22.3 points per game and 29th with 342.5 total yards per contest.
That said, Arizona has a promising stop unit with Robinson looking to show what he can truly do at the top level. The Cardinals’ defensive line also added Walter Nolan, their first-round pick in 2025, while keeping Zaven Collins and Baron Browning.

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