Darius Robinson

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		21	2.0	53	7.5
2025		15	1.0	43	5.5
2024		6	1.0	10	2

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Arizona Cardinals got a D+ Contract Value Index out of the Darius Robinson signing because the guaranteed money matches the production tier. Robinson is in year two of his rookie scale deal carrying a $3.5M AAV across four seasons—a manageable commitment for a 24-year-old defensive end, but one that demands significantly more impact than the 2025 season delivered: 43 tackles and 1 sack across 15 games underscore a disconnect between his first-round pedigree and NFL reality. The D+ CVI reflects the hard truth that Robinson's contract, while not onerous by positional standards for a former first-rounder, now carries the weight of mounting expectation without corresponding production evidence. At the second-year mark, Robinson still retains the developmental goodwill afforded to young pass rushers, but the window for patience is narrowing—the Cardinals' defensive line overhaul introduces real uncertainty about whether he can carve out a defined, high-impact role in a remade unit or become a costly depth piece. Media framing has shifted from developmental optimism to accountability, and the 2026 season shapes up as pivotal: Robinson must finally translate elite athletic tools into consistent production, or his rookie deal becomes an anchor rather than an asset. With three years remaining on the contract, the Cardinals are banking on a bounce-back arc; if it doesn't materialize, they'll be saddled with a first-round pick who failed to justify his investment.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the D band — a quick read on where Darius's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Darius Robinson delivers production that earns a D+ performance grade against DE comps. Through 15 games in the 2025 season, Robinson accumulated 43 tackles and 1 sack—a minimal pass-rush return that underscores the central problem with his first two years in the league: despite the athletic tools that warranted a first-round investment, he has yet to translate them into consistent quarterback pressure or disruptive plays. His tackle total shows he logged meaningful snaps and stayed on the field, but the sack output reveals a pass rusher who has not materialized at the point of attack where elite defensive ends operate. Robinson enters his third season as a player whose durability is no longer in question—he appeared in 15 of a possible 17 games last year—but whose impact remains in serious doubt, forcing the Cardinals organization into an uncomfortable position of publicly defending a young first-rounder who has managed just two sacks across his first two NFL seasons. The offseason narrative around Robinson centers on a bounce-back arc and a need to carve out a defined role within Arizona's remade defensive line, but that framing itself signals organizational patience wearing thin. At 24 years old with his rookie-scale contract still active, Robinson remains a player with upside, yet the window to prove he belongs as a franchise-caliber edge threat is visibly narrowing after two seasons of below-expectation production.

How Darius Compares at the Position

Darius Robinson ranks 117th of 147 graded defensive ends by performance. That slots Darius between Ta'quon Graham (D+) just ahead and Danny Striggow (D+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Arizona Cardinals fans and writers have settled into a C sentiment grade on Darius Robinson. The narrative surrounding the second-year defensive end is one of cautious optimism mixed with palpable impatience—Robinson retains the goodwill afforded to a young first-round pick with elite athletic tools, but the window for patience is narrowing as the team demands tangible returns on a 2024 first-round investment. His 2025 season production of 43 tackles and 1 sack across 15 games underscores the disconnect between his pre-draft promise and NFL reality, a gap that beat writers and defensive coordinator Nick Rallis have publicly acknowledged requires a bounce-back arc. Recent headlines frame 2026 as a pivotal year—media emphasis has shifted from developmental optimism to accountability, with the Cardinals' defensive line overhaul introducing uncertainty about whether Robinson can carve out a defined role in a remade unit. The C grade captures the precise middle ground: neither the panic that would accompany a clear bust nor the enthusiasm of a breakout narrative, but rather the skeptical patience of an organization and fanbase asking a first-round pick to finally prove his draft capital was justified.