With the #3 pick in the NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals picked Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame’s superstar running back who amassed nearly 2500 rushing yards over the past two seasons.

The pick has caused a thunderstorm amongst fans and analysts alike, with battle lines drawn between two clear-cut camps. On one hand, the Arizona Cardinals were able to select one of the most talented players in this draft and add an exciting prospect to their team. On the other, the pick not only flies in the face of the positional value argument – a discussion for another time – there were and are still more pressing concerns on the roster than adding a running back to a currently overcrowded room.

From a personal point of view, it’s not the decision I would have made last night, but I think the Cardinals found themselves between a rock and a hard place. They clearly wanted to trade out of the #3 spot as they ran down the clock towards the minute mark (at least on broadcast), before sending the pick in. When they couldn’t, and I won’t criticise them for not doing so if the value wasn’t there, they had to make a pick. I believe they liked David Bailey the most out of the pass rushers and he was off the board, going to the Jets at #2 and the offensive tackles available all had question marks over them especially for a team picking so high.

For better or worse, the selection of Jeremiyah Love is going to define Monti Ossenfort’s future as General Manager of the organisation.

The run on offensive line talent has left him in a precarious position with no A/B tier options left at OT and there is still a clear need to add a legitimate #2 on the edge. The team could also still be eyeing a quarterback. Then further down the shopping list, the team need to replenish the defensive line (fakes a shocked face), there are questions over the team’s linebacker room and they could do with a genuine impact-making slot defender if they want Garrett Williams to remain outside.

Having multiple needs might sway Ossenfort into making a trade or two today especially given the value of currently being in the #34 spot and there is still talent to be had in this draft. Below are a number of potential targets for the Arizona Cardinals in the second and third round.

CJ Allen – LB – Georgia – Jr. – 6’1″ – 230 lbs – 31 1/2″ arms – 10 1/8″ hands – 21 years old

CJ Allen blossomed into the heart and soul of Georgia’s defence after initially earning a starting spot as a freshman.

The 21-year-old possesses some of the best tackling technique in the class, where he pairs composure with fantastically drilled drive-through to ensure that he brings down the ball carrier, without tipping into the category of being an overeager thumper like other young linebackers can be guilty of. Allen has a career missed tackle rate of 7.4%.

Allen’s high football IQ allows him to diagnose plays and he doesn’t get overwhelmed by pre-snap motion. He tracks the action incredibly well and never lets his eyes wander. Instead, CJ Allen treats the ball carrier and more importantly the football, like his prey. He has the lateral speed and mobility to track down the ball carrier in pursuit and frequently makes stops near the sideline. The 4.47 40 that he recorded at his Pro Day would’ve tied for second at the Combine.

Named First-Team All-SEC after leading the Bulldogs in tackles, TFLs and forced fumbles in 2025, Allen didn’t receive a single penalty across his 41 career games as a Bulldog despite being a productive tackler (224 combined tackles in 3 years) and was a team captain for six games last year. Kirby Smart described him as a “great leader” and noted that “he practices so hard, he wants to win so bad”.

In coverage, Allen displays the adequate range of motion and understanding of the game to not be a target for offences, though he needs to improve his feel for routes behind him when dropping in.

In the NFL, he will have to put more OOMPH into his strikes to avoid coming off second best and he’s stood up quite easily when tasked with blitzing despite generating 4 sacks in 2025.

Though he did require meniscus clean-up surgery in November, Allen was back on the field after only missing one game, pointing to the dogged mentality that made him a firm favourite amongst teammates and coaches in Athens. He could go on to be a defensive leader in the NFL.

Carson Beck – QB – Miami – Sr. – 6’4″ – 233 lbs – 30 5/8″ arms – 10″ hands – 23 years old

A multi-time national champion as a back-up to Stetson Bennett, Carson Beck has three years of starting experience under his belt after stints at Georgia and Miami.

Nearly 3000 offensive snaps have given Beck a composed nature, when things are going his way, allowing him the ability to read the entire field and produce accurate passes. That’s further supported by the fact that a number of the games he played in college were in big game situations and atmospheres. Beck has a keen eye for identifying pressures and coverage pre-snap.

He has a feel for recognising where pressure is going to come from without becoming distracted from his reads and there’s a zip to his throws that you’d expect from a former college baseball player – he originally committed to Florida’s baseball team as a freshman before shifting to football.

He thrives when dropping back in play-action, with a 72.7% completion rate and a 30-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio across his career in those situations.

Beck finished the 2025 season with 26 passing touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Where Beck struggles is when he comes under pressure. His setup becomes inconsistent which has a major impact on his throws and both his ball placement and decision-making take a nosedive. Though he cut down on turnover worthy plays in 2025 (down to 11 from 20 the previous year), he combined for 24 interceptions across the past two seasons which was second most in FBS in that timeframe. In 2025, PFF scored Beck with a 81 “no pressure” grade but a 48.8 when under pressure. For context, Fernando Mendoza was given a 70.6 pressure grade.

He also fumbled 17 times combined over the past three seasons. He doesn’t have the juice in his legs to evade pressure.

There are some concerns over Beck’s maturity and his ability to lead a locker room. Though scouts say that improved in Miami, Beck has a habit of pushing blame onto others for interceptions and losses, something he carried on at Miami.

Beck wouldn’t be my choice to add as a developmental QB, nor do I think his attitude will endear him to this Cardinals regime, but he is a name that is picking up pace to be selected in either the second or third round.

Chase Bisontis – Guard – Texas A&M – Jr. – 6’5″ – 315 lbs – 31 3/4″ arms – 9 3/4″ hands – 21 years old

Anyone who idolised Quenton Nelson growing up is going to have a good understanding of how to win at close-quarters on the football field and Texas A&M guard Chase Bisontis has just that.

A tough, no-nonsense blocker, Bisontis uses a strong inside punch to displace blockers and transitions quickly to knock away incoming hands. When he latches on, it’s difficult to escape his grasps and he has above-average strength to bully defenders.

Bisontis is a prime case of why you should never solely focus on statistics and PFF grades when trying to understand a player. The 21 year old is a lot better than the 62.4 grade he received in 2025. He wins more frequently than that score suggests.

As an athlete, the former Aggie is a smooth mover who swings his hips nicely when changing direction to cut off lanes and is quick when moving laterally to kick out or seal off.

His attitude is perhaps the best thing about Bisontis. He’s a reported weight room obsessive with a 705 pound squat and was just one of six prospects at the Combine to take part in every drill on offer. He knows that he has the opportunity of a lifetime in becoming a professional football player and he’s going to squeeze everything out of that opportunity.

He’s got a fantastic amount of starting experience for his age as he was forced to step in at right tackle in his freshman year to cover for injuries, where he received Freshman All-America honours, before starting the last two seasons at left guard.

Bisontis has shorter arms than you’d like from a starting NFL lineman and his lack of length does cause him to overcompensate by lunging at times and he does surrender ground when he allows length to attack his edges. He’ll need to be more consistent with driving his opponents back at the NFL level and he’ll have to clean up his penalty count. He was charged with 19 penalties over his college career including eight in 2025 (four false starts, three holds, one unsportsmanlike conduct).

Though a career left guard, Bisontis has experience of operating on the right hand side of the offensive line and would likely beat out Isaiah Adams for the starting RG spot.

Dametrious Crownover – OT – Texas A&M – Sr. – 6’7″ – 336 lbs – 35 3/8″ arms – 10″ hands – 24 years old

Dametrious Crownover put his best foot forward at the Senior Bowl after a disappointing season for Texas A&M. In practices, the 24-year-old was able to display his significant size and power to swallow up a host of notable pass rushers.

The most important thing about Crownover’s physical advantages though is that he wants to use them. There is no lack of effort on his tape, he is able to shift people in both pass protection and the run game and he can generate force at the point of contact. Dametrious Crownover is not a passive football player. He plays hard and doesn’t give up when sustaining blocks.

However, he did take a step back in 2025 in almost every available metric. He gave up more sacks (2 in 2025, 0 in 2024), hurries (23 in 2025, 17 in 2024) and penalties (11 in 2025, 3 in 2024). His struggles were reflected in his PFF grades which all took a hit with an overall grade of 65.2 (75.3 in 2024), 72.4 for run blocking (76 in 2024) and 58.4 in pass blocking (69.1 in 2024).

The main concerns for Crownover lie in his wide-hand placement and his lack of knee bend. The wide hands allow rushers a direct avenue into his chest and partly played into his penalty count skyrocketing, as he had to rely on holding to stop defenders from beating him and reaching the quarterback. He doesn’t yet have the hand technique to effectively combat intelligent rushers and give away his chest like that.

His lack of knee bend, which isn’t uncommon given his size, results in a shaky anchor at times and allows him to be driven right back to collapse the pocket.

Being such a big piece of kit, Crownover also suffers from a lack of short area quickness which can lead to choppy footwork as he scrambles to get himself set.

This would be widely considered a reach if the Cardinals selected Crownover today but it’s the hole they find themselves in after not being able to address the position in the first round.

Frankly, I don’t think there’s a single tackle left that is worth spending a Day 2 pick on either because they are better suited to being a guard, they struggle in the run game or because they require major work, I think Crownover, though a player who needs to take several leaps forward to succeed long-term, has the upside to warrant taking a gamble on in the third round if the team feels like they HAVE to get a tackle today.

Dani Dennis-Sutton – EDGE – Penn State – Sr. – 6’5″ – 265 lbs – 33 1/2″ arms – 10 1/8″ hands – 22 years old

Penn State’s football program has produced an elite athlete? NOT ANOTHER ONE?!

Dani Dennis-Sutton produced a scintillating Combine performance that led to a 9.98 RAS which ranks as 6 out of 2085 eligible defensive ends from 1987 to 2026. He led the competing edges in the broad jump (10′ 11″) and 3-cone drill (6.90 seconds), came fourth in the vertical jump (39.50″) and sixth in the 40 (4.63 seconds).

Most importantly, Dennis-Sutton’s elite athleticism shows up in his on-field play. He uses his natural explosiveness to generate speed to power at the contact point, overpowers linemen in the run game and possesses the cardio to remain on the field and effective throughout the game.

Due to his athletic ability, Dennis-Sutton is easily the most adept and comfortable edge rusher in this class when asked to drop into coverage, something we know Nick Rallis asks his EDGE defenders to do at times. DDS has two career interceptions.

With 22 sacks over the past three seasons, the 22-year-old has shown improvement year on year as a pass-rusher, becoming more composed and intelligent with his hand usage and widening his pass-rush plan. As a two-year starter for Penn State, Dennis-Sutton has gained high-level experience as a Nittany Lion.

However, Dennis-Sutton is still developing that pass-rush plan and the team that takes him in the draft will be banking on him being able to maintain his rate of progression. Too often, when linemen counter his first move, Dennis-Sutton stalls out or is straight up beaten and he doesn’t have the elite level of bend or flexibility to fall back on in the way other athletic defenders can.

As a run defender, DDS is strong at the point of contact and can set the edge well but he does get overeager when pursuing the ball carrier which can lead to missed tackles when runners can bait him into prematurely launching into a tackle or when they force him to redirect. In 2025, he posted a missed tackle rate of 22.9%.

Dennis-Sutton could represent a good value pick-up as long as his development continues in the right direction.

Jake Golday – LB – Cincinnati – Sr. – 6’4″ – 239 lbs – 31 7/8″ arms – 9 1/2″ hands – 22 years old

At this time of year, we’re often discussing college middle linebackers that have been or could be shifted out to the edge to rush the passer. Jake Golday’s journey is the opposite.

A former defensive end with Central Arkansas where he notched 9 sacks in three seasons, Golday transferred to Cincinnati where he transitioned to SAM linebacker in the Bearcats defence and enjoyed a career year in 2025.

He scored PFF grades of 90.6 in run defence and 77.5 in coverage, improved his missed tackle rate to 9% (11.8 in 2024, 13.5 in 2023), tied 17th in the nation for coverage stops (19) and made 104 total tackles.

A fluid athlete, Golday has impressive closing speed on the ball carrier (he can reportedly reach speeds of 22mph) and marries that with clean tackling technique and strength to bring down his intended target. He featured at #48 on Bruce Feldman’s Freak List entering the season due to those speed recordings and after hitting 24 reps of 225-pounds on the bench press. Golday’s overall 9.85 RAS ranked him as #53 out of 3480 linebackers from 1987 to 2026 following his Combine performances. He was top five at the position in the 3-cone, shuttle, broad and vertical jumps.

When he identifies the play correctly, he uses that speed to shut down screens and run plays. His speed, effort and long frame mean that he can afford to make mistakes and still make tackles, though that safety net will shrink in the NFL.

His discipline, particularly as a player changing roles, is admirable – Golday hasn’t been penalised once in the last four years.

As a player still learning his role, there are areas for improvement. He is still getting to grips with taking on blockers and knowing how to keep himself clean. His instincts and ability to diagnose plays are a work in progress, something which will take time, and he can be guilty of staring down the quarterback instead of tracking runners.

Teaming Golday’s athletic chops with Cody Simon’s football nous could be a sneaky good tandem especially as teams look to get a bit bigger at the position.

Anthony Hill Jr. – LB – Texas – Jr. – 6’2″ – 238 lbs – 32 3/8″ arms – 9 5/8″ hands – 21 years old

When a player can make an immediate impact as a true freshman at a college like Texas, you know they’re destined for big things. That’s exactly the path that Anthony Hill Jr. followed as he was able to cement a starting place in the Longhorns defence midway through his first campaign before being handed the green dot in his sophomore and junior years.

Hill is very much a “see-ball, get-ball” type of a player and when he hits the ball-carrier, he hits with attitude, with 8 forced fumbles across his collegiate career. Hill uses every inch of his 6’2″, 238-pound body in contact to jar the ball loose, helped by the fact that he can build up a tremendous pace especially over longer distances, which creates genuine force on every hit. His 4.51 40 time ranked #3 for the position at the Combine.

A good athlete for his size, Hill displays fluid, snappy hip movement when forced to change direction in coverage or in pursuit. Mixing that balance with his speed means that the 21-year-old can fire into gaps to avoid contact and also makes him a threat as a blitzer – Hill has 13 sacks in three years.

His physical abilities, along with nearly 2000 snaps as a Longhorn, have given Hill the confidence to act decisively when working downhill. That combination of athleticism and experience also means that when he gets things right, he can be in the right place at the right time in coverage to make a play on the ball (3 interceptions over past two seasons).

An All-American in each of his three college campaigns (Freshman in 2023, Second-Team in ’24 + ’25), Hill has worked on being more in control when tackling, which was evident in 2025 as his missed tackle rate dropped from 15.3% to 4.5%.

Despite his experience on the field for Texas, Hill is still over-reliant on his physical tools to help him mop us messes rather than being able to call on his instincts to anticipate the play and he tends to bite on initial movements which lead to missteps. Those average instincts can cause him to be a step or two behind schedule in coverage and while he can cover for that with his athleticism, he can be caught cold by good play design.

While he has the desired frame to be a “proper” NFL linebacker, he doesn’t always make the most of it to consistently lock out and shed blocks, instead looking more comfortable trying to dodge and dip around blocks.

He has the tools to be a factor on special teams but as a key player in their defence, Texas didn’t ask him to do much of it in college (51 ST snaps in 3 years).

Anthony Hill has the traits and attitude to ensure that he gets the opportunity to develop at the NFL level. If he can continue to improve his understanding of the game, he could be a big hit as a pro.

Kayden McDonald – DT – Ohio State – Jr. – 6’2″ – 326 lbs – 32 1/4″ arms – 9 3/4″ hands – 21 years old

K-Mac, Big Mac, McPounder. Whatever you want to call Kayden McDonald, we can all agree that he’s one big, beefy bastard.

A one-year starter at nose tackle for Ohio State, McDonald earned Unanimous All-American status in 2025 as he anchored the Buckeyes’ star-studded defence. While the likes of Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese grabbed the headlines by flying round the field, McDonald was the immovable object they used as a platform for their eye-catching moments.

Able to explode through his hips and create immediate knockback, McDonald dents offensive lines and is able to hold his ground against double teams. There’s a nastiness to his game that doesn’t always shine through for bigger men. Some are guilty of thinking that simply being bigger and stronger will work. Not McDonald. He’s got a brawler mentality but he pairs this with an understanding of the running game which makes him a big-time disruptor.

Part of a heavy rotation, McDonald was still able to be productive with 60 combined tackles, four sacks and 34 defensive stops as the Buckeyes made it to the College Football Playoffs. That helped to earn him a 92 PFF run defence grade, leading all defensive linemen in the nation.

McDonald does come into the draft with just that one season of starting experience and even then, he wasn’t asked to play every down. He finished 2025 with less than 450 defensive snaps and there’s some concern that could have been down to cardio as much as Ohio State having so many options. He is still bouncing between weights to find his “best fit” and as a 21 year old, there’s still some body development to come. He will likely be gradually phased into NFL football rather than being thrown into the deep end as his conditioning improves.

As we see with many big nose tackles, McDonald isn’t a major threat when rushing the passer, at least yet. His pass-rush attempts are wild instead of being coordinated and experienced offensive lineman are able to stall him out. He does show some quickness for a guy of his size when shooting gaps so there’s something to work with there.

The Arizona Cardinals have nose tackles on the roster with the signings of Roy Lopez and Andrew Billings. If they were to select him, that would allow McDonald the breathing room to tighten up his cardio/weight and work on his pass rush.

Christen Miller – DT – Georgia – R-Jr. – 6’3″ – 321 lbs – 33″ arms – 10″ hands – 21 years old

If it hadn’t been for injury, there’s a good chance that Auburn center Connor Lew would’ve been tipped as a first-round prospect in this draft. When he called Christen Miller the “toughest player” he faced in college, that was high praise.

A versatile tackle, Christen Miller played multiple positions and alignments on Georgia’s defensive line. An impressive athlete for a man his size, Miller uses his lateral quickness to squeeze gaps and hunt the ball while using his strength and build to create knockback and avoid getting stalled by blockers.

Generating an 11.3% pass rush win rate last year, Miller uses a variety of arm-over and club moves to swipe away blockers and get into the pocket. He is able to stack and shed blocks to effect the ball carrier and in these situations, has a good feel for where the ball will be.

When forced into a chase, he covers ground extremely well for a defensive tackle.

With Georgia operating a heavy rotation, Miller only averaged 31.2 snaps per game in 2025 and comes into the professional ranks with 1076 defensive snaps under his belt. You never want colleges to flog these young men to death so that they’re weathered, but that inexperience does show up in Miller’s weak spots.

He can be late on the snap which confuses his attack as he tries to get back onto schedule, his pass-rush can be sloppy and uncoordinated and he hasn’t developed a killer instinct to finish. There were a number of times that Miller found himself in the backfield but didn’t get a sack or hit on the QB and he exited Georgia with just 2 career sacks and 3 QB hits. His overall game lacks the consistency that you want to see out of a potential second-round talent.

That lack of field time isn’t just down to Georgia’s way of doing things. Miller has experienced a number of injuries over the years. He underwent labrum surgery in 2025 after missing two games with a shoulder injury and had a meniscus “clean-up” in 2023 though he stayed healthy through the past season.

While he’s a prospect that needs some polishing, Christen Miller has the tools to be a real threat in the NFL. He might be best suited in an even front but he has shown the versatility to pop up in different alignments. For an Arizona Cardinals defensive line that needs yet another talent injection, Miller could be a much-needed boost.

Derrick Moore – EDGE – Michigan – Sr. – 6’4″ – 255 lbs – 33 3/8″ arms – 9 1/8″ hands – 23 years old

A former four-star recruit, Derrick Moore slowly knitted things together over the course of his college career to be Michigan’s most important defensive player in 2025. Voted as a team captain by his teammates at the start of the year, Moore would go on to earn both the team’s Defensive Player of the Year and the Bo Schembechler Most Valuable Player Award after a season where he recorded 11 sacks and a team-leading 10.5 tackles for loss. His 21 career sacks ranks as eighth most in school history.

Though Wink Martindale frequently rotated his defensive front this year (Moore averaged 36.7 defensive snaps per game), Moore was one of the most efficient rushers in the FBS, generating a pressure on 17.5% of his pass-rush snaps (#1 Big 12, #17 in FBS).

With a combination of athleticism and physicality, Moore can win by going around or through tackles. Though his obliteration of Markel Bell during 1-on-1 drills at the Senior Bowl isn’t something he replicates like-for-like on tape, he is able to motor through the chest of blockers and has some good pop in his hands when making contact.

Quick off the ball, Moore can also use his bend to get round the corner and flatten out to home in on the quarterback. That blend of traits can cause linemen to get confused, caught in two minds on how to approach the snap and end up overextending themselves, something Moore exploits even further with a flurry of feints.

The 23-year-old understands how to get the most out of his broad frame in the run game as a physical edge setter and he’s an incredibly effective tackler (10.3% MTR in 2025).

With big school experience and steadily improving production, you would expect Moore to be considered as a top pick for teams. However there are a number of concerns that will knock him down a peg or two.

As a pass-rusher, he is guilty of relying too heavily on his physical attributes and he doesn’t have an extensive pass-rush plan. He doesn’t effectively string moves together which can end up with him floundering in the arms of his opposing number. This is exacerbated by an inconsistent pad level. In the run game he doesn’t consistently get off blocks and his play recognition isn’t where it should be as a four-year player at Michigan.

Moore is a high-floor player with the traits that could be moulded further at the NFL level. His constant progression points to someone who is coachable and isn’t the final product yet. He could be a steady, low-risk option for the Cardinals.

Garrett Nussmeier – QB – LSU – Sr. – 6’1″ – 203 lbs – 30 3/8″ arms – 9 1/8″ hands – 24 years old

Like many in this year’s quarterback group, Garrett Nussmeier entered the year with the aim of cementing his reputation as a first-round talent before experiencing a stock-damaging 2025 that ended with him being labelled by some as a Day 3 prospect.

At his best, mostly from 2024 tape but evident in 2025 too, Nussmeier has a strong arm capable to make throws at every level of the field, the desire to do so and the anticipation to place the ball in the ideal spot for his receivers. He has the patience to allow the play to develop, can identify coverage and the footwork to negotiate collapsing pockets with balanced slides to reset his base.

Having a longtime college and NFL QB coach as a father has clearly helped Nussmeier to knit things together – Doug is the current OC of the Saints – with good technique and fundamentals. He’s also got the “prove it” that young men in his position experience as he tries to live up to expectations and quieten any claims of nepotism, showing real toughness to grind through multiple injuries. Though he doesn’t have a lengthy tenure on the field (just 23 career starts), he was reportedly a big leader for LSU and earned the respect of his teammates.

In 2024, he recorded 29 passing touchdowns for 12 interceptions.

In 2025, his worst habits were put under a magnifying glass. His confidence to challenge tight windows became borderline arrogance, took costly sacks and became easier for defenders to read. He only managed 12 passing touchdowns across 9 injury-hampered games. That slump in performances combined with the fact that, despite his pedigree upbringing, he is an undersized quarterback with smaller hands, has seen his stock tumble.

Nussmeier wasn’t solely to blame for his 2025 struggles. LSU were a poor team overall with an inconsistent offensive line and run game that ranked 124th in the FBS. Dealing with an abdominal injury caused by a spinal cyst, his mechanics looked to have regressed though reports are that he’s moving much more freely now the injury has been addressed.

If the Cardinals can get some assurances that the abdominal issue was genuinely causing such discomfort and the “real” Garrett Nussmeier is closer to the ’24 vintage, he could be worth a look in the third round.

Emmanuel Pregnon – Guard – Oregon – Sr. – 6’4″ – 314 lbs – 33 5/8″ arms – 11″ hands – 24 years old

I’m surprised that Emmanuel Pregnon is still currently on the board for the Arizona Cardinals. I thought he was a dead cert to be taken in the second half of the first-round especially when there was a flurry of trades.

A fantastic football player, Pregnon had a standout year at Oregon after transferring from USC (he was also previously with Wyoming), earning First-Team All-American honours as well as being a key part of the Oregon offensive line being finalists for the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s top offensive line. He gave up 5 combined pressures in 2025. Not 5 sacks, not 5 hits, not 5 hurries. 5 total pressures.

A huge 314-pounder who wears the weight well, Pregnon comes direct from the casting call for NFL guards. With long levers, frying pan hands and a thick base, you couldn’t create a more fitting build for a guard on Madden.

He uses those large hands to grab a hold of defensive linemen, dictate the play and drive bodies away in the run game. He had some really fun highlights over the course of the year where he completely destroys his opponent and jolts them out of their boots.

His thick lower half is the basis for a sturdy anchor in pass protection that he can sink into even when he comes off second best to lose slowly. He continually works on getting the most out of his body, with a reported 655-pound squat and 465-pound bench.

Comfortable as both a run-blocker and pass-protector, he only gave up 3 sacks across the last four years (2 in 2022, 1 in 2025), having a two year stretch at USC without surrendering a single one. He was credited with PFF grades of 88.0 in pass blocking (#11 overall), 88.3 as a run-blocker (#3 overall) and a total grade of 88.4 (#2 overall) after committing only one penalty in 2025.

Pregnon is committed to finishing every snap and doesn’t take a single second off, even in lower-stake match-ups. He was durable and available throughout his career, with 40 straight starts.

The 24 year old does have some aspects to his game that you don’t want to see from an older prospect. His punch timing in pass-pro can be inconsistent, he is guilty of excessive leaning and leading with his head and doesn’t always look comfortable when things aren’t played right in front of him. He still finds himself falling off blocks when he isn’t perfectly set (though he is usually perfectly set). As an athlete, he is fine, but isn’t going to set the world alight when in space.

He has had far more experience and success at left guard for both USC and Oregon, with 2504 snaps, he does have some experience of playing right guard from his time at Wyoming (625 snaps at RG). His worst game of this past season was against Minnesota where he had to fill in at right guard, but that’s to be expected after three years of solely focusing on the left side.

If Monti Ossenfort sticks at #34 today, it could be with Emmanuel Pregnon in mind. A certain Jeremiyah Love wouldn’t be upset if that’s the move.

Jacob Rodriguez – LB – Texas Tech – Sr. – 6’1″ – 231 lbs – 30 7/8″ arms – 9 1/4″ hands – 23 years old

Over the past couple of years, I’ve started a personal “Golden Ticket” award for draft prospects outside of the consensus top five players. If Roger Goodell handed me a golden ticket to allow me to pick any single player to add to the Arizona Cardinals roster, without taking into account things like value, who would I pick? In 2023, it was Christian Gonzalez. In 2024, it was T’Vondre Sweat. Last year, it was Armand Membou.

This year it is Jacob Rodriguez. Get up here buddy and claim your prize (which going by past “winners”, is not having to play for the Cardinals).

Rodriguez is just my kind of player. He never says die, he gives everything to the cause, gets stuck in physically and plays intelligently.

The “Golden Ticket” would be the lesser of Rodriguez’s haul of awards after a stellar 2025 campaign as he stacked his trophy case with the Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy race. Oh, he was also a Unanimous All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.

Rodriguez marshalled a loaded Texas Tech defence that helped the Red Raiders make the College Football Playoffs, notching over 120 combined tackles and earning an overall PFF grade of 93.3 which ranked #1 amongst linebackers in the country. He was also the only FBS player to score both an offensive and defensive touchdown last year.

When tackling, Rodriguez has lively hands and mastered the “Peanut Punch” technique, leading the FBS with seven forced fumbles. He ranks top 10 in FBS history for career forced fumbles with 12.

A two-time team captain and “defensive quarterback” of Shiel Wood’s 4-2-5 base scheme, the 23-year-old displayed brilliant instincts and play recognition. His first step isn’t electric but it’s always correct. He doesn’t make a misstep. Comfortable moving laterally, he is adept at identifying shallow routes and putting himself in position to bait a throw before making a play on the ball. He ended the year with four interceptions and three pass breakups.

There were some questions about his athleticism going into the process but Rodriguez blew those concerns out of the water by topping the class in the 3-cone and being second best in the shuttle. His RAS of 9.61 ranked 137 out of 3840 LB from 1987 to 2026.

Despite his heart, attitude and skills, he will have to overcome an average build which affects his ability to stack and shed. As he isn’t the paciest player, he can be outrun and can struggle to make up ground. The lack of length is most obvious when he tries to tackle off-balance, as he doesn’t have the long levers to compensate for any imperfections, especially against cutback runs. A lot of his missed tackles (15.1% career MTR) come in these situations.

There are better athletes in this group. There are prospects with higher ceilings in this group. There aren’t many better Day 1 football players in the entire class than Jacob Rodriguez, though.

Image Credits: Al Diaz, Kirby Lee, Texas A+M Athletics, Tyler Kaufman, Getty Images, Robin Alam/ISI Photos