Revenge of the Birds
What the Cardinals need to look for in the 2025 NFL Draft
Stopping the run.
There’s been a long and heated debate on X of which 2025 DT is a better fit for the Cardinals: Derrick Harmon or Kenneth Grant.
The point of my Blue Dot Special project was to discern which top DTs in the 2025 NFL Draft are good at both stopping the run and rushing the passer.
Derrick Harmon was not one of them. Here’s the reason why:
Derrick Harmon’s tackling issues the past 3 seasons:
Conversely:
Kenneth Grant’s tackling prowess the past 3 seasons:
Plus, there’s this fact:
Sack Totals Last 2 Years Combined:
The whole point of the Blue Dot Special research was that both stuffing the run and rushing the passer should matter significantly when drafting a DT in R1. Otherwise, the DT is not a 3-down player and is more situational. NFL DCs will tell you, if you can’t stop the run first, then you can’t and won’t win games on a consistent basis.
Cardinals gave up 4.6 yards per carry in 2024, #26 in NFL. With the NFC West and playoffs on the line they couldn’t stop SEA’s Zach Charbonnet (22 carries for 134 yards, 6.1 ave., 2 TDs) or CAR’s Chuba Hubbard (25 carries for 152 yards, 6.1 ave., 2 TDs).
This
Some are claiming that Walter Nolen is a better pick than Kenneth Grant. My response:
The question becomes --- whose game and football character translate better to the NFL, Walter Nolen’s or Kenneth Grant’s? I believe Grant is the safer bet on both counts. In 2023, while Grant was helping Michigan win a Natty for the first time in decades, Nolen was pissing off A&M coaches, players and fans with his attitude, a habit which dates back to his high school days. He was on his best behavior this year at Ole Miss, but there is a troubling character history.
Conclusion:
If first and foremost the Cardinals are not serious about stopping the run, then they are not serious about winning. Teams win with Big Boys up front.
