Darius Robinson Can Be a Dream Fit for the Vikings in Brian Flores’ Defense
Josh Frey
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With the NFL Combine officially in the books, we are quickly approaching the 2024 NFL Draft.
As the weeks continue to count down to the event, the Vikings Draft Thermometer series will be heating up with more and more prospect evaluations. One big focus of these next few weeks will be in the defensive trenches where the Vikings are facing a serious need this offseason. Today, we will be discussing Darius Robinson, who is a unicorn of a player on the defensive line.
Overview
- Height: 6’5″
- Weight: 285 pounds
- Arm Length: 34 1/2″
- Hand Size: 10 5/8″
- Wingspan: 84 1/2″
- 40-Yard Dash: 4.95 seconds
- 10-Yard Split: 1.73 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 35″
- Broad Jump: 9′ 3″
- Bench Press: 21 reps
- School: Missouri
- Games Watched: LSU (2023), Georgia (2023), Tennessee (2023)
Darius Robinson came out of high school in Canton, Michigan, with a three-star rating from 247 Sports. He was the 689th overall rated recruit in the Class of 2019, and after receiving offers from programs like Colorado, Minnesota, and Rutgers, he ultimately made the decision to commit to Missouri.
Robinson would spend the first three seasons of his collegiate career largely playing a rotational role on the defense behind names like Blaze Alldredge, Nick Bolton, and Isaiah McGuire. He took on his first true starting role in 2022, playing the majority of his snaps as a defensive tackle.
2023 saw Robinson kick out to the edge, and he put together a spectacular campaign, leading the program in both tackles for loss (14) and sacks (8.5) while the Tigers allowed just 20.8 points per game, which ranked 26th amongst the 133 programs in the FBS.
The defensive lineman is now heading to the 2024 NFL Draft, hoping to become the first Missouri product to earn a top 50 selection since Drew Lock in 2019.
Statistics
- 2019: 1 tackle (2 games)
- 2020: 12 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack (8 games)
- 2021: 21 tackles, 0.5 TFL, 1 pass defended (8 games)
- 2022: 35 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks (13 games)
- 2023: 43 tackles, 14 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery (12 games)
Strengths
Robinson’s versatility is the first thing that jumps off the screen. He spent the majority of the 2021 and 2022 seasons playing defensive tackle before jumping out to the edge in 2023, thriving in both spots. Over the course of his collegiate career, here is what his snap counts looked like by alignment on the defensive line, per PFF:
- 191 snaps in the A Gap
- 676 snaps in the B Gap
- 219 snaps over tackle
- 412 snaps outside
Robinson’s unique combination of size and athleticism has allowed him to thrive at just about any position on the Missouri defensive line. Some elite arm length and explosion could allow him to continue playing on the edge in the NFL, but he has the size and strength to move back to his more natural position of defensive tackle if needed.
In addition to his pass rushing prowess, Robinson has been an elite run defender at Missouri with an ability to overcome opposing offensive linemen at the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses
Because he only has one true season of playing off the edge under his belt, Robinson still needs to develop his pass rushing arsenal if he is going to continue playing at that spot because he won’t be able to win solely with his power at the NFL level. He isn’t quite fast enough to out-athlete some of the better offensive tackles either, so additional counter moves will be a necessary focus in his development.
However, if he were to simply go back to the defensive tackle spot, he will certainly need to continue filling out his frame as he remains on the lighter side for true interior defender. For now, Robinson is a “jack of all trades” without being a true expert at any spot. It offers for some promising potential, but there is work to do in order to reach that potential.
NFL Projection
- Draft Stock: Second Round-Top 50
- Immediate Role: Pass-Rushing DT
- NFL Comp: Ezekiel Ansah
- Vikings Draft Thermometer (1-100): 75
The Minnesota Vikings are going to need to nearly completely rebuild their defensive trenches this offseason, particularly if Danielle Hunter, Jonathan Bullard, and D.J. Wonnum depart in free agency.
The top end of the draft is full of promising prospects both at edge and defensive tackle, but very few have a case to be contributors at both spots. Robinson is exactly that unicorn of a prospect, which could ultimately cause a team to take a chance on him late in the first round.
However, if he is still available with the 42nd overall pick, the Vikings should jump at the opportunity to add him to their roster and Brian Flores’ defensive scheme.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via 247 Sports, Pro Football Focus and Sports Reference CFB.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.