The Arizona Cardinals have added big names to their defensive front this offseason. Josh Sweat, Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Walter Nolen have headlined the complete remaking of Arizona's defensive front.
According to one analyst, another name should be added to that list.
Elijah Simmons a name to look out for according to The Athletic
In a recent article, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic listed the best undrafted free agent fit that each team has brought in since the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft.
For the Cardinals, Baumgardner chose former Tennessee defensive tackle Elijah Simmons.
Out of the six undrafted free agents the Cardinals have signed, Simmons is the only defensive player. Arizona loaded up on defense during the draft, and they used the UDFA market to fill in holes on the offensive side of the ball.
But the Cardinals thought that Elijah Simmons was just too good to pass up.
Simmons is an outlier on the football field. He's built like a bowling ball at 6'1" and 334 pounds. He's not particularly athletic (he ranked near the bottom of the list at the NFL Combine in his 40-yard dash), but Simmons is immovable in run defense.
As Baumgardner puts it, Simmons "has the build to be the type of interior space eater for which teams are constantly searching."
In high school (where he played running back?), Simmons won state titles in shot put and discus. Per Bruce Feldman's annual "Freaks List," Simmons bench presses 455 pounds.
His superhuman strength shows up on the football field, too. Simmons moves through offensive linemen like he's wading through water. They can't stop him, they can only hope to slow him down. He often fills two holes in run defense, completely swallowing up the middle of the field. He has some limitations, but Simmons is a terror for opposing offenses to deal with.
Elijah Simmons will face an uphill battle in his efforts to make the Arizona Cardinals roster. While he's a good player with plenty of upside, teams only have so many spots. The Cardinals already have an overcrowded interior defensive line group. To make the roster, Simmons would likely have to beat out Justin Jones or Bilal Nichols.
Whether it's with the Arizona Cardinals or not, Elijah Simmons likely has a future in the NFL. If he ends up with a different team, let's just hope it's outside of the NFC West.