While the defensive side of the ball has been the main focus for both the team and fan base during the offseason, there is a case to be made that the Arizona Cardinals could look to add to the offensive line during the draft next week.

The re-signing of Evan Brown and Kelvin Beachum points to a desire to have a level of continuity across a line that performed well last season, at least from a statistical standpoint, and the team is reportedly very high on Isaiah Adams at guard who experienced an up and down rookie year.

They drafted tackle Christian Jones in the 5th round this time last year and he flashed in pass protection when called upon at the end of the year.

They have also added Royce Newman, Jake Curhan and Sincere Haynesworth to the current group with Newman and Curhan having NFL starting experience.

However, there is some uncertainty around the long-term future of the offensive line with both Jonah Williams and Kelvin Beachum set to become free agents in 2026 and question marks over the strength of depth at the interior positions.

For a regime that prides itself on building through the draft getting ahead of the curve seems likely instead of facing a situation where a rookie is forced into the lineup next year.

The Cardinals could conceivably come away from next week’s draft with additions at tackle and guard depending on how everything else falls.

Here, we’ll have a look at some potential tackle options before highlighting the interior line in a separate piece on Sunday (April 20th).

As with the other position group profiles on the site, this has been kept limited to players who’ll realistically be available to the team. Both WIll Campbell and Armand Membou should be long gone by the time the Cards make their first round selection so neither are featured here. AZ Jace produced a fantastic in-depth look at Membou if you want info on the Missouri prospect.

Kelvin Banks Jr. – Texas – 6’5″ – 315 lbs – 33 1/2″ arms – 21 years old

Banks is a divisive prospect within the draft community with battling camps disagreeing on whether he will be a tackle or guard at the NFL level.

A recent “Top 30” visitor to the Cardinals, Banks played 2774 snaps for Texas at left tackle over the past three seasons, securing the starting job as a freshman and never letting go of it.

With well-timed, smooth footwork that holds up while squatting and anchoring, Banks is a natural in pass protection and his experience at a top college show in his mature hand usage and in maintaining a consistent low pad level.

He had a best in class showing when it came to one-on-one pass-blocking reps, with a 97.90% Pass Block Win Rate over 195 snaps in 2024 and allowed pressure on just 0.8% of his pass-blocking snaps, fourth best among all FBS tackles. Taking the past two seasons into account, Banks ranked in the 96th percentile for PFF grading against True Pass Sets. Over 42 career starts, he allowed just three sacks.

When asked to protect his quarterback in the same types of scenarios that he would face at the pro level, Banks thrived. That’s the marker of a player who should be able to make the transition to the NFL as an offensive tackle.

On the other hand, Banks has his drawbacks, some of which would be hidden better at guard. He is susceptible to being push-pulled by defenders and ends up on the floor more often than you’d like to see from a potential first-round pick.

Longer armed defenders are a weakness of his, evidenced by those push-pull losses on tape and especially in those instances Banks doesn’t regularly dictate contact which leads to holding calls as he tries to recover (4 in 2024).

He will have to get stronger and more confident to be an effective tackle in the league but at 21 he has the time to add power and his technical concerns are coachable.

The main concerns from a Cardinals standpoint are twofold. Most concerning is the struggles that Banks has had in the run game. He is in the 25th percentile for negatively graded run plays with PFF (42) and for a team who demands a dominating run game, that could be a red flag.

Banks is an athletic puller and has great body control to win positioning but as stated, doesn’t yet have the strength to redirect defenders. He can be overeager to compensate for this and whiffs on plays or falls off of blocks rather than showing the composure he has in spades when it comes to pass protection.

Secondly is that despite his vast college experience, it came exclusively at left tackle, which is a problem with a lot of this class from a Cardinals perspective. Though he played well enough there as a rookie, the Cards are not moving Paris Johnson to RT again and simply saying a prospect can shine on the other side of the line is easy. In practice, it’s a whole other story.

Anthony Belton – NC State – 6’6″ – 336 lbs – 34 5/8″ arms – 24 years old

Somebody gon’ get their ass kicked, somebody gon’ get their wig split. If you want a bad, bad dude protecting your quarterback then Anthony Belton is your man.

A behemoth three-year starter, Belton amassed 2218 snaps at left tackle for NC State before declaring for the draft and he impressed against quality peers at the Senior Bowl. Both Donovan Ezeiruaku and Landon Jackson came unstuck in certain reps during 1-on-1 drills.

Capable of engulfing defenders with his 6’6″, 330+ pound frame, blotting out rushers like an eclipse. Belton uses his size and length to keep the game in his wheelhouse and forces defenders to try and go through him rather than around.

The 24-year-old shows brilliant power in both the pass and run game. He received a 87.3 pass blocking grade from PFF in 2024 and a 69.4 run blocking grade. Most importantly, he uses that power with a vicious streak. Too often prospects with similar physical attributes play like gentle giants. Not Belton.

Permanently ON, he is always looking for his next bit of action and doesn’t shy away from multiple engagements on a play.

Where Belton struggles is when the game isn’t being played directly in front of him. A heavy boy, he can be flat footed and end up off balance when transferring his weight to his outside foot when sliding and doesn’t have the adequate body control to readjust. He played the 2024 season at closer to 360 lbs and must keep closer to his draft process measurements.

Kind of a one trick pony, savvier rushers can lull Belton into a false sense of security before burning away on the outside shoulder. He gave up 8 sacks, 3 QB hits and 34 hurries in his NC State career.

His eagerness can quickly become overzealous in the run game, where his hands get too wide and undisciplined. He has been penalised at least 8 times in each of the last 3 seasons and was ejected for spitting at a Clemson player in 2024 – that’s fucking vile and even if it’s a one-off sign of immaturity it may eliminate him from consideration for the Cards.

Josh Conerly Jr. – Oregon – 6’4″ – 317 lbs – 34 1/4″ arms – 21 years old

One of two starting Oregon offensive tackles in this year’s draft, Josh Conerly impressed in offensive coordinator Will Stein’s multiple run scheme.

Having taken up a role on the offensive line as a high-school sophomore in Seattle after initially playing at running back, tight end and defensive end, Conerly has improved year-by-year, saving his best work for his final season as a Duck.

A five-star recruit and the second-ranked offensive tackle in the 2022 recruiting class, he spent three years at Oregon, with two of those as the starter.

A fabulous athlete for the position, Conerly is fast everywhere. He has quick lateral movement, change of direction and gets out of his stance explosively. He shines in space as a blocker able to cover ground at a rapid rate – he had the best 10-yard split at the Combine amongst OL (1.71) – and is fleet-footed to cut off pass-rush angles. He also had the 3rd best vertical jump for offensive linemen (34.50″).

In 14 games in 2024, he gave up 1 sack, 2 QB hits and 6 hurries, only giving up 6 pressures over his final 12 starts (all vs. Ohio State). In one-on-one situations he recorded a 93.4% pass block win rate over 240 snaps which ranked 13th in the class. Nobody above him faced more true one-on-one situations.

He was voted the top offensive lineman on the National Team during the week of Senior Bowl practices.

Conerly’s inexperience is highlighted at times by a lack of anticipation which can allow defenders to dictate contact and get into his chest. This was exploited to comical effect by Mike Green at the Senior Bowl. Another reason for this is that Conerly’s hand usage is still a work in progress. He brings them up quickly but often too wide, leaving his chest exposed making him a prime target for a strong bull-rush.

As well as working on this from a technical standpoint, Conerly will have to get stronger to deal with NFL-calibre athletes and so that he can become more of a dominating presence.

With no tangible experience away from the left tackle spot, something that also factored into the viral takedown by Green as Conerly’s footwork left him uncharacteristically unbalanced, you would be betting on the youngster being able to take the most out of Justin Frye’s coaching.

Ajani Cornelius – Oregon – 6’4″ – 312 lbs – 34″ arms – 22 years old

The other half of the Oregon offensive tackle tandem in the draft, Cornelius is more of a developmental prospect than Conerly, though he does bring some promising ability and experience.

A transfer from Rhode Island after the 2022 season, Cornelius started at right tackle for Oregon in every game over the past two seasons and he enjoyed 50 straight starts in his college football career. A no-start recruit out of high school, he wasn’t even ranked by the online recruiting services in the 2020 class and eventually committed to Rhode Island after a handful of FCS offers.

Two good seasons at right tackle for Rhode Island, including a standout game against Pittsburgh, eventually led to him entering the transfer portal and he received offers from multiple top schools including Ohio State, Oregon and Tennessee.

With long arms and a solid anchor, Cornelius plays with the effort and mean streak that you’d expect from a guy that had to take the long road round to NFL consideration. He worked hard for his place at Oregon and nobody was going to take it away from him.

Experience at varying levels of the game has given Cornelius a cool, composed outlook and he doesn’t panic when forced backwards or when he has to readjust. He can fall back on Plan B or C without losing his head as he trusts in his own decision making and skills.

A good combo blocker, he scored a 94.7% pass-block win rate on assisted snaps and 86.80% in 1-on-1 situations. Across the past three seasons, he has given up 4 sacks, 7 QB hits and 35 hurries.

Though he has long arms, the 22-year-old doesn’t always make the most of them, often not fully extending his arms to keep defenders away from his body.

This can be a particular issue against more physically gifted rushers whether that’s in a power sense where he can end up being moved around rather than leading the dance himself (Jack Sawyer did this on multiple occasions) or by speed rushers who can target his outside shoulder as he isn’t overly quick.

There are also concerns around his pad level as he plays tall and upright and doesn’t consistently maintain blocks in the run game after his initial charge.

Aireontae Ersery – Minnesota – 6’6″ – 331 lbs – 33 1/2″ arms – 23 years old

The Big Ten Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year for 2024, Aireontae Ersery enters the draft after three years as the starting left tackle at Minnesota after not playing football until his sophomore year of high school.

With an NFL-ready build and length, Ersery showcases an explosiveness to get out of his stance and set to take on defenders which translates into speed to get to the second level where he is a high-impact blocker.

Despite his late introduction to football, prior experience in basketball and dance has given him an excellently well-educated pair of feet that glide smoothly round the field especially when you factor in his size. Though he played 96.3% of his snaps at left tackle, that level of footwork bodes well for a possible move to the right side.

A broad-shouldered, well-built young man, Ersery can anchor down and stonewall rushers that try to go through him and he uses his length well to steer them away from the pocket and defend against inside moves.

He continued to improve throughout his college career and in 2024 he surrendered one sack, one QB hit and ten hurries. Admittedly more suited to a zone-style offence after featuring in the Gophers’ zone-heavy scheme (he had a PFF grade of 77.3 in Zone compared to 62.9 in gap), he flashes the necessary upper-body strength and torque to continue to develop as a gap player.

Despite the leaps he made in college, there are certain nuances of the games that escape Ersery due to being “new” to the position. He still puts too much weight over his toes which can create issues with his balance and when rushers are able to get underneath him.

Coming off the ball quickly is a positive but can sometimes be done in an undisciplined manner leading to high pad level and his hand usage gets less and less disciplined when on the move as he continues to try and marry that connection between upper and lower body.

When things don’t go his way, he can panic and develop Happy Feet, chopping at the turf rather than gliding.

There are also pitfalls to being 6’6″ as he’s stiffer than smaller tackles in the class which is most apparent when changing direction and engaging his hips.

Newly-appointed Defensive Line Coach Winston DeLattiboudere has first-hand experience of Ersery having joined the team from Minnesota where he was assistant coach and defensive line coach, seeing Ersery every day in practice. His opinion could prove pivotal for any Cards fans eyeing Ersery.

Hollin Pierce – Rutgers – 6’8″ – 341 lbs – 36″ arms – 24th birthday on April 19th

While the world has been concerned about the “de-extinction” of the dire wolf species over the past week, I’ve been more concerned with the apparent re-introduction of dinosaurs on the Rutgers campus.

Standing at a towering 6’8″, weighing 340+ pounds that are well distributed throughout his body and boasting 36″ arms and a Combine-largest 88 1/4″ wingspan, Hollin Pierce cuts an imposing figure that should come with his own fear-inducing soundtrack.

Pierce enters the draft with a backstory rooted in tragedy, hardship and dogged determination to make the most of his life. Having piled on the weight following his mother’s death when he was 11-years-old as he battled with the grief and depression, Pierce was a scale-shattering 455 lbs as a high school junior at Trenton Central High.

A basketball hopeful, Pierce’s uncle encouraged him to try out for the football team where the coaches played him at offensive and defensive tackle.

After making the state playoffs in his senior year, Pierce played a post-grad season at Fork Union Military Academy. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to work on his body and technique he eventually gained a walk-on opportunity at Rutgers.

He joined the programme in June 2020 at 400 lbs and spent a year conditioning before being put on scholarship in 2021. He went on to earn multiple All-Big Ten honours.

In pass-pro, Pierce occupies space and shows functional lateral movement – astonishing at his size – using his gigantic levers to punch away at rushers to keep them in front of him. His hand speed on these occasions point to what could’ve been a lucrative heavyweight boxing career if his life had unfolded differently.

He uses his natural power effectively in both the run and pass game where he graded well in every aspect in 2024 according to PFF’s metrics. He was awarded an 83.5 grade for run blocking, 79.5 in pass blocking, 81.5 in zone, 77.7 in gap and 77 against true pass sets.

He competed well in drills at the East-West Shrine Bowl and is “dedicated” to continuously improving his technique according to coaches. In the past four seasons he’s started 50 games with an almost even split between the tackle spots.

He needs to be more assertive and maximise his natural advantages more often, there are times when it looks like he’s forgotten that he’s a giant.

There are natural balance and fluidity issues because of his size – he doesn’t change direction well and can be caught short because of high hips and pads – and quick linebackers can easily stay clear of him in the open field.

Technically, he doesn’t anchor well consistently and leans rather than directs in the run game which can lead to him losing control or falling off the block.

There are major holes in his game and if a team opts to select him, it will be with the intention of spending at least one year purely seeing how much of an improvement he can make. Having shown the desire to transform his life, it won’t be for the want of trying if Pierce doesn’t have a successful NFL career.

Josh Simmons – Ohio State – 6’5″ – 317 lbs – 33″ arms – 22 years old

A popular figure with Cardinals fans because of the Buckeyes-Cardinals pipeline of recent years and the addition of Justin Frye, the former OSU OL Coach, a recent Top 30 visit only added fuel to the fire that the team are targeting the 22-year-old in the upcoming draft.

A smooth operator whose footwork and balance hold up while squatting or anchoring, Simmons truly burst onto the scene in the 2024 season in his second year as a starter at OSU, considered to be a candidate for OT1 in the class over the first few weeks of the season.

Displaying flexible hips to counter and adjust, consistent low pad level and controlled knee-bend, Simmons was on course to be an All-American until a non-contact knee injury in October sidelined him for the rest of the season and the majority of the draft process. While many believed the injury to have been to his ACL, it was confirmed that Simmons had suffered a patella tendon tear.

Using a wide stance to provide a strong base, Simmons plays with an innate calmness in pass protection. In 6 games last year, he didn’t give up a single sack or QB hit and was culpable for just one hurry. This resulted in a PFF pass-blocking grade of 82. His hands are well-timed and purposeful.

While not a dominating presence in the run game, he is comfortable executing pulls and seems to be one step ahead of defenders at all times.

His 32 appearances for the Buckeyes were split between right and left tackle (19 LT, 13 RT), though he was a much better performer once he crossed over to left tackle to replace the departure of a certain Paris Johnson Jr.

The biggest question mark over Simmons is the severity of the injury but he did manage some work during Ohio’s Pro Day which seemingly puts him ahead of schedule with his recovery.

From a play standpoint, his strength is adequate rather than being a weapon for him and if we’re critiquing him thoroughly, it’s important to point out that his best work pre-injury was against the lighter side of the Ohio schedule and in 2023 his weaker games came against the bigger-name colleges like Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame.

If his medical evaluation is clear, Simmons could be a brilliant addition to the Cardinals especially with not being needed to play straight away with Jonah Williams and Kelvin Beachum already on the team, to allow him to fully complete his rehabilitation.

Ozzy Trapilo – Boston College – 6’8″ – 316 lbs – 33 1/2″ arms – 23 years old

Ozzy Trapilo has dedicated his life to following in his father’s footsteps and becoming an NFL player. Although Trapilo never got to see his father Steve, who died in 2004, compete in the league but his legacy has had a lasting impact on the 23-year-old as he attended both the same high school and college.

A three-year starter at Boston College, where his father is immortalised in the school’s Hall of Fame, Trapilo has is a scheme-versatile tackle after playing in Bill O’Brien’s offence which used both zone and gap schemes.

Bringing size and length to the position, Trapilo has exceptional football IQ having spent time at both tackle spots and understands his body to remain in control through contact. He diagnoses plays quickly to deal with whatever situation defences throw at him – he graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA and received an offer from Yale – and wasn’t penalised on a single play across 772 snaps in 2024.

Arms always at full extension to aid in keeping defenders away, his hands and grip strength are NFL-ready, displaying consistent placement, purpose and composure. He moves well for his size in both pass protection and the run game, able to protect the corner and and close space.

On the lighter side for someone his height, Trapilo’s play strength is ahead of his weight class, as he understands how to exploit leverage and angles to get every last drop out of his power.

During his time as a starter for BC, he gave up 5 sacks, 9 QB hits and 37 hurries.

As with other similarly sized tackles, Trapilo’s height can affect his pad level and balance and he can be guilty of playing high after contact which makes him more easy to move. This bleeds into his re-anchoring which is less refined than other parts of his game and he can buckle under powerful pressures.

If he can iron out those creases in his armour with NFL coaching, Ozzy Trapilo could be a sneaky-good pick-up on Day 2 of the draft.

Image Credits: Burnt Orange Nation, University of Oregon Athletics, Brad Rempel, The Lantern