The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman believes the Cardinals will pass on a pass rusher to land a defensive lineman.
The Arizona Cardinals have a loaded defensive line room currently. However, in a new mock draft from The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman, that doesn’t stop them from taking one of the top defensive line prospects in the draft.
In these projections, the Cardinals select Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the 16th overall pick.
Arizona figures to go in the trenches here with some good options on either side of the ball. The Cardinals added edge Josh Sweat in free agency, so I don’t believe they will take Mike Green here, and Harmon is too talented to let go by. The Ducks stepped up big on the name, image and likeness front to land the Michigan State transfer, and he made a big impact, notching 45 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He more than looked the part at the combine, measuring 6-4 1/2, 313 pounds and clocking a 4.95 40 with a 1.74 10-yard split.
While the Cardinals likely will still continue with the trend of building the trenches, getting a defensive tackle in the first round might be hard for roster management.
The Cardinals brought back L.J. Collier and signed veterans Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell. 2024 free agent additions Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols return from season-ending injuries. They drafted Darius Robinson in the first round last year, and Dante Stills has been one of their most productive interior defenders entering his third season. Only Stills doesn’t have guaranteed money as part of his salary.
The plus is that Harmon would not have pressure to play a significant number of snaps with that group.
The trouble is, with their work in free agency, drafting a defensive tackle or an edge rusher would add a premium player they would want to contribute early in crowded rooms.
The way the roster is constructed, really only three positions could slide into a starting role — right guard, wide receiver and inside linebacker.
Harmon would be a perfect talent and scheme fit. He would be an exciting addition, but it would make decisions for the position group tough.
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