Darius Robinson used to collect autographs at Lions training camp. He could be signing them there this summer.
The Missouri defensive lineman, who grew up about 20 minutes from the Lions headquarters in Allen Park, is rising on draft boards. His landing spot could be late in the first round, when Detroit is slated to pick 29th overall.
"He feels, to me, like someone who’s going to go somewhere in the 20’s," NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah said last week. "And he’s worthy. He’s got the ability to go in that range."
A product of Canton High, Robinson said this week that the Lions were his favorite team growing up. He frequently attended training camp practices. His mother even shared a photo on Thursday of a young Robinson getting an autograph from former Lions defensive lineman and first-round pick Nick Fairley, writing that "now it's time for him to switch sides."
Back then, Robinson wasn't even all that into football. He was always a big kid, but considered himself more of a basketball player into his high school days. It wasn't until after his junior year at Canton, he said, that he realized he might have a future on the gridiron.
"I was just out there free-styling. I didn't know what I was doing. And I then I realized how many offers I got and I was like, huh, maybe I could be good at this," Robinson told NBC Sports this week at the NFL combine. "But I knew I had to work and I had to fall in love with the process: lifting weights, watching tape, being a great teammate. And that’s when it took off for me."
Robinson, who wound up getting offers from Michigan and Michigan State, chose Missouri. He was so lean as a freshman that he didn't even lift weights with the team: "I was weak," he said with a laugh. But he put on 60 pounds by the end of his sophomore year when he was playing defensive tackle at 305. He slimmed down a bit last season to play a more versatile role up front and put up 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss on his way to being named first-team All SEC.
"Now that I play everything, 285 is a good weight for me," he said.
He's also 6'5, with long arms to make life hard on offensive linemen and quarterbacks. "Body-type wise," Jeremiah compares Robinson to eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end and likely future Hall of Famer Cam Jordan. Robinson said he tries to model himself after Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby and Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, "two of the best players in the league."
"Crosby has really long arms like me, always turning his shoulders, plays with a relentless motor, really sets the standard for defensive-line play," Robinson said.
Not that Brad Holmes and the Lions draft for need, but Robinson would be a natural fit on their defense, which needs more playmakers up front. While he can play up and down the line, Robinson is better suited "on the outside, standing up on the edge," said Jeremiah. "He can rush through your chest with power, he can really close from the backside. I just thought the wider alignment really helped unlock him, and you saw that at the Senior Bowl."
Robinson, for his part, is happy to play anywhere. The bulk of his pass-rush production at Missouri came off the edge, but he said it doesn't matter where he lines up in the NFL: "That’s the thing I keep telling everybody, I can play every position, from a 0 (tech on the interior) to a (wide) 9, I play fast, I play physical. So just let me line up, put my cleats in the ground and let’s work."
Sound like a player who would fit Dan Campbell's Lions? And Aaron Glenn's defense? With an edge duo of Robinson and Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit's defensive line could do damage. Imagine that: two Metro Detroit natives wreaking havoc for their hometown team. Robinson met with the Lions at the combine this week and said "my heart was bumping, man."
“I’m telling you, it was like a dream just to see all the names (and) faces, growing up a Lions fan. That was a great interview," Robinson said, via MLive.
If you're not sold on him, Robinson says turn on the tape -- specifically the Georgia game, or the LSU game, or the Kentucky game, or "any SEC game" from last season. He consistently produced against the best competition, putting up a combined 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss against Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida and Ohio State. A team captain, he played in Mizzou's bowl game against the Buckeyes when most potential first-round picks would have sat out.
"I know my tape is my ultimate resume," he said.
The draft is in Detroit. Assuming Robinson comes home for it, he might wind up sticking around.