CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As much as Darius Robinson loves playing football, he might love breaking down what goes through his mind during a game or practice even more.

Ask the rookie an X's and O's question and be prepared to receive an in-depth breakdown without hesitation. He's one of the players that has repeatedly taken advantage of Jonathan Gannon's open-door policy.

"JG, he'll actually listen to me," the defensive lineman said. "I'll just be ranting, telling him about stuff that I like or didn't like in my game, and he could tell I'm really locked in.

"Just having coaches give you feedback helps with my confidence."

As a rookie, confidence is key. After his NFL debut against the Vikings, Robinson was hard on himself. "I'm my own hardest critic, honestly, because I just have high expectations," he said, knowing he's a mere three games into his career.

Last weekend against the Patriots, Robinson brought down quarterback Drake Maye to get his first career sack. Because the tackle was right at the line of scrimmage, resulting in a zero-yard sack, Robinson wasn't aware he recorded his first sack since he played in the Cotton Bowl for Missouri.

"I didn't know until somebody told me because when I took him to the ground, I looked to the left and I was trying to see where the stick was at," Robinson said. "I'm thankful, but I want to get a lot more in my career, so I just need to keep working."

There's been an increase in production in each game that Robinson has played. He didn't have a tackle in his debut, but in the following game against the Seahawks, Robinson had a tackle while facing some double teams. On top of the sack against the Patriots, Robinson had three tackles in 30 snaps.

"It's really stacking week-by-week, depending on how many games we end up having," Robinson said. "As long as I get better each week, I'll be proud of myself."

Robinson's potential was on display during the preseason and training camp. Mix that with optimistic comments from those around the team and the excitement was palpable. Out until Week 13 with a calf injury, his long-awaited return to the lineup only allowed it to build further.

His opportunity to experience the NFL comes in the thick of the Cardinals playing meaningful football, especially Sunday against the Panthers.

"He's going to continue to learn every rep that he gets and figure it out even more and impact the game for us," Gannon said. "I thought he made some excellent plays in the running game (against the Patriots), some that will go unnoticed. He's doing what he's coached to do at a high level right now."

Robinson understands that rookies are afforded the grace of facing a learning curve as they find their footing in the NFL, and while he senses that a bit, "I know JG and (defensive coordinator Nick Rallis) have high standards for me, so I just try to get better each week."

The urge to strive for more is one of the traits that was attractive to the staff during the draft process. But through these "pretty detailed" conversations with Gannon and Rallis, the rookie isn't the only one benefiting.

"When you talk to players, you really get to be in their shoes with their thought process and it helps you as a coach, because ultimately, that's how you want to coach," Rallis said. "It gives you a perspective on what's going through his head."