Cardinals' Draft Pick: Banks' Upside for Defense

0:00On April 4th, the Arizona Cardinals' defense took hits last season, especially up front at defensive tackle. Their first round pick Walter Nolan missed time with injuries and ended on injured reserve. Kalei's Campbell held it down, but Daoven Tomlinson got released after low output. Now General Manager Monty Osonfort signed back Roy Lopez III and added veteran Andrew Billings from his 17th team. Teens usually carry four defensive tackles and rotate them heavy. With those gaps, the draft looks key to beefing up the line. Earlier this week, mock drafts had the Cardinals grabbing Florida's Caleb Banks at pick 34 in round two. This 6-foot-6, 327-pound beast ran a 5.040. Over 34 college games, he notched 48 tackles, 6.5-sex, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 3-forced fumbles. He's a senior bowl invitee in 3-time SEC All-Academic Honor Roll Guy. Scouts love his rare size, heavy hands, natural power, and quick first step.

1:02He can wreck games, collapsing pockets, or chasing plays. But he's polarizing, injury history, spotting consistency, and questions on toughness make him a boom or bus type who sometimes vanishes. If Banks lands in Arizona, his upside could transform that interior. Pair him with the vets, and the Cardinals might finally plug those holes come next fall. That's the story for today. NFL News Today, Driven by AI