What to make of Cardinals DL Darius Robinson’s NFL debut?

Much like Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. made his brief NFL debut, fellow first-rounder Darius Robinson didn’t quite live up to the hype.

At least on the surface.

Playing 22 defensive reps (42% of available snaps) as part of a five-man rotation, Robinson recorded just one quarterback pressure during the Cardinals’ 23-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

“I’m a game changer and I didn’t change the game at all,” Darius Robinson told reporters after the game. “I just have to get better, I’m so excited for tomorrow’s opportunity.”

But when you pull back the curtain, you see that there’s a lot more to Robinson’s debut than meets the eye.

He may not have been a game changer against the Vikings, but the rookie still made an impact in the trenches.

Just look at LJ Collier’s sack in the first quarter:

The Sack Sensei makes it big 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Dic9ItFryT

– Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 1, 2024

While Collier is credited with the sack, Robinson helped pave the way by wearing down two offensive linemen.

He also did a good job of plugging the gap and pushing Cam Akers back into the pile late in the fourth quarter. Instead of potentially getting a first down on a chunk play, Minnesota settled for a five-yard gain.

“I thought he did well. I thought he was disruptive on a run,” head coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters after the game. “I thought he was being disruptive. I thought he would go back there a few times.

“He’s going to have some plays that he has to clean up. It was good to get him out of there. He’ll play better next week.”

Ultimately, experience is key for a rookie finding his way at the NFL level.

Garrett Williams is a great example of this.

Similar to Robinson, Williams was forced to miss a large portion of his rookie season due to an injury – albeit one he sustained in college.

He quickly transitioned from a potential depth player to an every-game starter as reps piled up in that rookie year.

Now he’s arguably Arizona’s best second-year cornerback option.

Need a more recent example? How about Harrison?

After his debut, the No. 4 overall pick turned things around with 606 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns on 41 catches (78 targets).

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