Top 5 defensive tackles the Arizona Cardinals could consider in the 2023 NFL Draft
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals could realistically take a defensive tackle in the early rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. Here are five noteworthy prospects.
The Arizona Cardinals could use a couple of defensive tackles since at the moment, Leki Fotu, Rashard Lawrence, among other no names and cast-offs, are the top players at the position. Clearly, the Cards don’t want to go into the season with any of them. So chances are, they will look to the NFL Draft and hopefully snag two of the five talents listed below.
While the 2023 draft doesn’t seem to be as deep from a talent standpoint as other positions, namely defensive end and outside linebacker, there are plenty of under-the-radar prospects this season. Below, you will find five of them.
5 defensive tackles the Arizona Cardinals can draft
1 - Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
Tuli Tuipulotu had two solid seasons at the University of Southern California. In 2021, he posted a respectable 48 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. This showed us he was more than capable of getting into the backfield and wreaking havoc, something the Arizona Cardinals can use.
In 2022, Tuipulotu augmented his stats. He posted two fewer total tackles with 46. However, Tuipulotu also tackled opponents behind the line 22.0 times, and snagged 13.5 sacks. If he’s there in the second round, the Cardinals should seriously consider taking him.
2 - Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
Keeanu Benton put up more pedestrian numbers when compared to Tuipulotu, and during his junior season, he recorded just 24 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. However, those numbers increased to 10.0 tackles behind the line (36 total) and 4.5 sacks in 2022.
Overall, Benton doesn’t boast the same type of production as Tuipulotu or even most defensive tackles listed in this article. So what makes him a good draw? Having played in the Big Ten, Benton is more than familiar with NFL-caliber talent.