Recent Arizona Cardinals draft picks should get opportunity
By Scott Allen
The Arizona Cardinals have some players drafted over the last couple of years yet to pay dividends for the team
It’s all a matter of perspective when it comes to how much some Arizona Cardinals players drafted over the last couple of years have progressed. The names likely come to mind immediately.
In 2016, the Cardinals drafted defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, cornerback Brandon Williams, and center/guard Evan Boehm. In 2017 it was linebacker Haason Reddick, receiver Chad Williams, and guard Will Holden.
All six of them still have an opportunity to show what they can do. The clock is ticking for all of them, but especially for the 2016 class of questionables.
Some fans have already given up on Nkemdiche. Clearly he has not reached the potential the Cardinals saw when they drafted him. Injury has played a big part of that.
Nkemdiche also has showed maturity issues off the field. Remember when he showed up underdressed for a team flight?
He showed flashes of brilliance in the preseason and had sporadic moments in the 2017 season. He is still not consistent enough however.
As for Brandon Williams, the jury is still very much out on him. What will the patience level be with the new coaching staff? He is still learning.
The same can be said for Boehm. Boehm looked like he was ready to take on the world coming out of Missouri. He struggled though last season as much of the offensive line did.
You can include last years pick Will Holden in that group. Again, a moment of brightness here and there but not enough to brag about for sure.
Reddick is a guy the Cardinals are nowhere near ready to give up on. He may still have a year or so to prove his worth. The same can be said for Chad Williams.
However with the issues the Cardinals are experiencing at receiver right now, this year could be tougher to crack the roster for him. He made strides towards the end of the year but he saw very little playing time. He only caught three passes in 2017.
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There are guys that could be waiting to come in and take their spots. Of those six, two of them are likely to be on the 2018 roster for sure. For both Brandon Williams and Chad Williams, along with Holden and Boehm, they have work to do.