Why Cardinals’ Darius Robinson Needs a Big 2025

The Arizona Cardinals are hoping for a big season out of second-year DL Darius Robinson.

They're not the only ones.

Robinson, who missed a hefty amount of time in 2024 due to a variety of reasons from a calf injury to the passing of his mother, never really got to establish himself in Arizona's trenches.

2025 figures to be that season, and The Athletic highlighted the former first-round pick as a player who absolutely needs a bounce-back season.

Cardinals Need Darius Robinson to Bounce Back

"The biggest asset for Robinson during the draft process was versatility, as the 6-5, 296-pounder believed he was capable of playing anywhere from zero- to nine-technique along an NFL defensive front," wrote Nick Baumgardner.

"That did not happen last year. Robinson suffered a calf injury during preseason drills, and then his mother died in October. He said last month that 2024 was 'the hardest year of my life.'”

That year indeed would be hard on anybody, let alone a rookie in the NFL trying to prove himself.

"Last year was like the hardest year of my life," Robinson told reporters this offseason. "But then it was the best year of my life in the same year. So I definitely felt the lowest but I also felt the highest, and I know what it takes. A lot of hard work."

Robinson played in six games last year for Arizona, tallying ten tackles and one sack.

The Cardinals have done a strong job reinforcing the front seven this offseason through free agency and the draft, which may seem like more pressure for Robinson to perform - though considering DC Nick Rallis rotates his guys frequently, Robinson will still have ample opportunity to make an impact.

And the player himself knows what's on the line in 2025:

"Just buying into it and realizing every day I've got 24 hours. What am I going to do to make the most out of it?" Robinson said. "I feel like I got a lot to prove this year."

Robinson projects as a versatile and powerful defensive lineman - which was fully on display last year at training camp before his injury.

"This is really [year] 1.5 for him," Cardinals head coach Joanthan Gannon said of Robinson back at the NFL Combine. "He's going to help us win. I know that."

Robinson and the Cardinals are certainly on the same page.