Arizona Cardinals: Sunday should be focus day at Combine
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals should look no further than Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine for draft preparation
The Arizona Cardinals and the media keep talking about the need to add pass rushers. Whether that comes from free agency or the draft it makes no difference. It is the player you grab that makes the difference. At the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine, Sunday will be the day the Cardinals eyes should be open.
Sunday is the day that the defensive ends and linebackers take the stage. The first two days of the Combine have been loaded with offensive players.
The Cardinals have made no secret they are looking for pass rushers. General Manager Steve Keim indicated that they need guys who can rush around the edge. Coach Bruce Arians thinks the Cardinals already have guys that have the potential to do that like Markus Golden and Shaq Riddick. He also mentioned Alex Okafor as well.
However you keep looking if you are the Cardinals. There will be guys unattainable because of their draft position, like defensive end Joey Bosa from Ohio State. A big guy like defensive end Noah Spence from Eastern Kentucky at 6-3, 254 the Cardinals may be able to reach at the bottom of the first round.
Defensive end Johnathan Bullard from Florida and linebacker Leonard Floyd from Georgia are two other guys I am very interested in seeing what they can do on Sunday. They can also always take another Clemson guy, say like defensive end Kevin Dodd?
The Cardinals won’t take a guy just because he fills a need, at least not early on in the draft. They will want a player who is special and has all the tools to be the pass rusher they need now. They guy they get will be NFL ready and won’t be a project.
The crop of linebackers isn’t as big as the defensive ends but still some good ones to pay attention to on Sunday. A guy like Joshua Perry from Ohio State could be someone to look at. He is aggressive and considered a team player according to cbssports.com. He is projected as a second-round pick.