Analysis: After finishing last in the division, holding the eighth pick, the Cardinals selected uber-athletic and versatile linebacker Isaiah Simmons. There was much talk about how teams would properly use Simmons due to his unique slender frame and speed as a linebacker or safety. I remember when he was drafted I immediately thought this was Deone Bucannon in 2014 all over again, a linebacker/safety hybrid who couldn’t find a position, and that’s exactly what happened. In college he started out as a safety, then moved to linebacker his final two seasons, and was drafted as a linebacker, but his first three seasons he bounced between outside linebacker, middle linebacker, strong safety, and even slot cornerback. Entering his fourth season under a new coaching staff, he was slated as a starting safety, but was traded to the Giants right before the season start, and spent the season as a rotational linebacker. Yet another example of a superstar college player who can do everything, not being able to find a role in the NFL. If he gets in the right defensive scheme, he can be a stud, but it’s guys like these that have such specific and unique skillsets that have a hard time sticking around.
Josh Jones hasn’t been much more than a backup in the NFL so far. He started 12 games at right guard in 2021, then nine at left tackle in 2022 in place of an injured D.J. Humphries. He was traded to the Texans before the 2023 season and only started three games as a fill-in.
The Cardinals did not have a second-round pick as it was traded to the Texans as part of the DeAndre Hopkins-David Johnson trade. It was used to selected Ross Blacklock who didn’t last long with the team. Arizona did acquire a fourth, which was used to select Rashard Lawrence along with Leki Fotu in the same round. Both players were seemingly competing with each other for playing time for three seasons, with Lawrence getting a slight edge. But due to injuries, Lawrence was released before the 2023 season and spent time with three practice squads. Fotu held on to the starting nose tackle job for most of this season.
Evan Weaver spent his rookie year on the practice squad and didn’t make it to a second season. Eno Benjamin has mostly been a backup and kick returner, but saw starting action in 2022 following a James Conner injury, but was cut later in the season. He got claimed by Houston, and later cut and claimed by the Saints. He missed the 2023 season due to a ruptured Achilles.
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