D.J. Humphries is proving his worth to the Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
The much-maligned left tackle of the Arizona Cardinals has turned into one of the best blockers in the National Football League
Back in 2015, the Arizona Cardinals spent their first-round draft choice on an offensive tackle. D.J. Humphries, that year’s 24th-overall selection, did not pay dividends right away. In fact, many fans believed that the team’s investment in the underachieving lineman this past offseason was a colossal mistake.
But just when it looked like he was headed for “Palookaville”, Humphries began to turn his professional career around. In 2019, the 6’5, 307 pounder showed considerable improvement while playing for Sean Kugler, Arizona’s new offensive line coach. Humphries was an iron man for the squad, staying on the field for 1,044 out of a possible 1,046 offensive snaps during the ’19 campaign.
Humphries has followed up that solid season with an even more impressive showing this year. According to Pro Football Focus, the 26-year old grades out as the third-best player in the NFL since week five, regardless of position. The well-respected website has handed Humphries a grade of 92.5, a number that’s topped only by defensive tackle Aaron Donald and quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Overall in 2020, PFF ranks Humphries as the seventh-best tackle in the league. The former University of Florida product has allowed only one sack week four, and just two all season. There’s talk that Humphries could possibly be the Cardinals first Pro Bowl left tackle since 1996, when Lomas Brown received that honor.
Back in February, a month before he was scheduled to enter free agency, Humphries and the Cards agreed to a three-year contract extension. The deal is reportedly worth $43.75 million, with $29 million of it in guarantees.
Five years ago, Humphries got into the doghouse of former Cards head coach Bruce Arians, thanks to his uninspiring play as a rookie. Arians referred to the youngster as “knee-deep”, an unflattering nickname that reflected his lackluster effort at the time. Humphries was the only first-round pick in ’15 to be inactive for the entire campaign.
The much more mature Humphries has come a long way since those days. The North Carolina native has turned into a leader for the Cardinals, both on and off of the field. The patience and belief that Arizona showed in the blocker over a few trying years is finally paying off.