Darius Robinson is the Next Whitney Mercilus

Houston can select the reincarnation of an all-time fan favorite

It’s the arms. It’s the dominant edge-setting. It’s the spin move. It’s the passions. It’s the movement off the snap.

For DE/DT prospect Darius Robinson, it’s the possibility of becoming a Houston Texan and forging a career for himself on the defensive line.

Neither Robinson or Mercilus came out of a perennial programs. Missouri has been slowly ascending in the SEC for their ability to develop talent, but Mercilus’ Illinois is not a football powerhouse to say the least.

Both possess position versatility. While Mercilus could stand up and play outside linebacker, he quickly normalized to a hand-in-the-ground defensive end. It wasn’t until later in his career when he begin playing inside in more unique fronts and formations to take advantage of his long arms and quick moves. Comparably, Robinson played closer inside the defensive line when he first arrived at Missouri. It was only later on that Robinson shifted to the end position on the defensive line where his stats and subsequent draft stock took a steep rise.

The other major difference in their profiles is the experience. Whitney was a one-year starter at Illinois and qualified as a little known rising star. A true find from a draft scouting perspective who rose through the process.

While Robinson is similarly scaling draft boards like a long jumper at the Olympics, he is more of a known commodity at the college level. He racked up four years of production and two years starting on the d-line. His development has been a slow burn as he only started playing football his junior year of high school.

Here’s NFL.com’s Report on Whitney Mercilus from 2012:

Whitney is a fast, athletic defensive end who is quick off the snap and has a good burst to close on the quarterback

He is a situational rusher who excels against the run and brings the versatility to run to the flats at his size

Whitney is able to quickly get off the snap and engage into his man’s frame

He excels in pursuit down the line of scrimmage and is a high motor player

He attacks the line of scrimmage with a vengeance and employs a number of pass-rush moves; he can win at the next level with his speed rush

And here’s Darius Robinson’s Report from PFF

One-of-a-kind size threat with elite mass, 35″ arms, and vast alignment versatility

Shows glimpses of great, long-strider explosiveness when he has a lane to attack

Hyper-elite power capacity and can cave in his side of the line with torque

Dominating threat who can plow tackles back into QBs’ laps with his power

Can sequentially absorb combo blocks and wrench down anchors with mass and length

Elite play strength allows him to stack solo blocks and peek, shed, and swallow runners

Routinely obliterates gaps in run defense with strength, base, and sturdy leverage

Flashes impressive cornering ability and acute angle freedom when breaching the apex

Proactively uses length to channel power and pry his way through gaps

Stacks outside clubs and chops off push-pull moves, controlling reps with his traits

Carries a relentless motor, fighting through contact and chasing plays with voracity

Sounds familiar? The player sounds the exact same.

Houston possesses the 23rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. When Houston selected Mercilus, they had the 26th pick. Based on recent mock drafts, big boards, and projections, Darius Robinson is supposed to go in the second round; similar to Whitney Mercilus. Is the raw talent of Robinson worth selecting him over players with more proven abilities? Possibly. It certainly depends on where DeMeco Ryans and staff see Robinson fitting in their system as he can fill multiple holes on the Texans roster. Sometimes the position versatility doesn’t bode well for a player finding a true home at the next level. `