Pros and cons of Arizona Cardinals picking Missouri football’s Darius Robinson in 2024 NFL Draft

In his hometown, Missouri football defensive end Darius Robinson became a 2024 NFL Draft first-round pick.

The Mizzou star was picked by the Arizona Cardinals with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. A Canton High (Mich.) grad and Southfield, Michigan, native was one of the players in attendance at the draft Thursday night in Detroit.

Robinson is the first Missouri player to be taken in the first round since Charles Harris went 22nd overall pick in 2017.

Robinson’s selection could kick off a historic draft for the Tigers, who have eight players who stand either a realistic or outside chance of hearing their name called in Detroit.

Here's what Robinson brings to the Cardinals, based on his career with Missouri:

More: 'Dream Big': Mizzou football captain Darius Robinson's path to elite defensive end

What defensive end Darius Robinson brings to Arizona Cardinals in 2024 NFL Draft

Darius Robinson is a force off the mark. He’s an accomplished bull-rusher and developed great footwork and added a wider variety of pass-rushing moves as the season wore on against SEC offensive tackles.

He spent his first four seasons of college as a defensive tackle and has the size (6-foot-5, 285 pounds) to play anywhere along the line and fit in either a 4-3 or 3-4 front. Robinson has long arms and big hands, which will stand him in good stead in the league. He has the speed and twitch to shed blockers.

All in all, there’s a reason he’s played his way into the first round of the NFL Draft.

And for all the good Robinson does on the field, his off-field presence may be even more valuable to a team. A two-year team captain, Robinson used funds accrued from personal Name, Image and Likeness endorsements to purchase backpacks and supplies to give away at a back-to-school drive in Columbia, Missouri, before the 2023 season began.

More: Mizzou football DL Darius Robinson provides supplies for back-to-school drive

Darius Robinson highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Missouri

You don’t need to look any further than Missouri football’s last game of 2023 — a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State — to see the heights at which Robinson can operate.

Missouri hounded the Buckeyes for four quarters, holding the bluebloods to three points. Robinson’s stat line shows just two tackles. But Ohio State, which cycled through two quarterbacks, only managed 106 passing yards that day. Robinson is one of the main reasons why.

The Buckeyes’ stout O-Line couldn’t keep contain on Robinson. He broke through more often than not, and forced the QBs into quick — and often ill-advised — throws time and time again. Against college football’s elite, Robinson did what he does best: hound, hound, hound.

If he has a weakness, it’s that he can be a touch one-dimensional. He’s often at his best trying to get around the outside of his blocker, but can lean a little heavily on that at times.

With some NFL polishing, however, he’s shown through college he has the flexibility to develop new traits and skills.

Robinson’s stats with Missouri

Robinson switched from defensive tackle to defensive end for his final season at Missouri football.

Here’s how that went for the edge rusher: 43 total tackles; 14 tackles for loss; 8.5 sacks; one forced fumble and a recovery. He had seven straight games with a sack.

Altogether, that earned him All-SEC first-team honors.

Robinson played 47 games for the Missouri Tigers over the course of five years, rising from three-star recruit to one of the important players on the team. He finished his career with 111 total tackles, which included 13 sacks as part of 21 tackles for loss, most of those coming from his time inside.

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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Arizona Cardinals draft Missouri’s Darius Robinson in 2024 NFL Draft