2023 2nd round #41 pick is BJ Ojulari LB

oaken1

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Nobody is doubting his ability to get after the QB, it’s his ability to set & hold the edge. I’m not sold he can do that. In the NFL you really need to do more than 1 thing to be great. Our Dlines lack of skills & talent doesn’t help his cause.

To me better players were on the board. We have one of the worst interior Olines, Dlines & CB units in the NFL & addressed only 1 of those major needs in 4 picks & that was a CB who likely won’t be 100% until 2024.

Haven’t we as fans not learned when you ignore the Oline & Dlines you’re behind the eight ball for long term success yet?
CJ55 sucked against the run. But he got paid. A few times.
 

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Nobody is doubting his ability to get after the QB, it’s his ability to set & hold the edge. I’m not sold he can do that. In the NFL you really need to do more than 1 thing to be great. Our Dlines lack of skills & talent doesn’t help his cause
He's likely a 3-4 backer. Or he plays a Haason Reddick like role.

I wish the Cardinals had the picks to also address the dline but there is only so much draft capital.
To me better players were on the board. We have one of the worst interior Olines, Dlines & CB units in the NFL & addressed only 1 of those major needs in 4 picks & that was a CB who likely won’t be 100% until 2024.
Here's the thing: there are only so many reps on a football team. If Paris Johnson is playing LG, then that means only center is really open.

And while I wanted a center, would you want the Cardinals to draft a center they ranked 20 players lower? I wouldn't.
Haven’t we as fans not learned when you ignore the Oline & Dlines you’re behind the eight ball for long term success yet?
Outside of a few DL, there aren't many worth taking. The Rams just reached big for Kobie Turner. I said as much earlier today, that if you wanted a DL, you better take one early round 2 because the better ones would be long gone.

Then again IDL isn't nearly as valuable as edge, so Ojulari is naturally ranked higher by positional value.
 

oaken1

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He's likely a 3-4 backer. Or he plays a Haason Reddick like role.

I wish the Cardinals had the picks to also address the dline but there is only so much draft capital.

Here's the thing: there are only so many reps on a football team. If Paris Johnson is playing LG, then that means only center is really open.

And while I wanted a center, would you want the Cardinals to draft a center they ranked 20 players lower? I wouldn't.

Outside of a few DL, there aren't many worth taking. The Rams just reached big for Kobie Turner. I said as much earlier today, that if you wanted a DL, you better take one early round 2 because the better ones would be long gone.

Then again IDL isn't nearly as valuable as edge, so Ojulari is naturally ranked higher by positional value.
Im sure there are run stuffers and developmental DT's still on the board. Modern nfl is hyper focused on penetration but a big body that eats blocks has a purpose in the right scheme.
 

ajcardfan

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We are definitely going to get the ball shoved down our throats with the run. That has been our biggest defensive problem for decades. Not pass rush. Although we have no proven pass rushers at all.

But not everything can be fixed in one draft. Even if every kid we draft this year is a home run, we will still suck.
 

Harry

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They’re going to screen pass this guy continuously. They can’t put him and Sanders on the field at the same time. I’m sure he’ll improve against the run, but I doubt he’ll ever excel. You only need 1 situational rusher And they have one.
 

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They’re going to screen pass this guy continuously. They can’t put him and Sanders on the field at the same time. I’m sure he’ll improve against the run, but I doubt he’ll ever excel. You only need 1 situational rusher And they have one.

???

Nothing prevents lining up Sanders and BJ at opposite ends in obvious pass situations.

BJ has done what was asked of him. There's no concrete evidence that he can't reconfigure and be more complete. He's got the size, speed, and there's no reason to doubt his willingness.
 

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They’re going to screen pass this guy continuously. They can’t put him and Sanders on the field at the same time. I’m sure he’ll improve against the run, but I doubt he’ll ever excel. You only need 1 situational rusher And they have one.

They have 3 LBs to cover screens. We ain't going to be playing 3-4 where he has sole contain responsibly. The Sam and Will will be there also. And Gannon keep all 3 on the field a lot.

Plus he's good in space vs run. He's not going to stack and she'd a tackle much at the moment but give him space and he's fine.
 

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???

Nothing prevents lining up Sanders and BJ at opposite ends in obvious pass situations.

BJ has done what was asked of him. There's no concrete evidence that he can't reconfigure and be more complete. He's got the size, speed, and there's no reason to doubt his willingness.
One of the things Brett Kollman pointed out about guys built like Ojulari is that they combine a shorter edge height (6'2) with longer arms (34 1/2 inch arms) that gives blockers fits because they can get low.

Ojulari is super bendy. One of the criticisms of Will Anderson Jr was that he wasn't quite as bendy as a lot of top pass rushers. Ojulari is way more bendy. He was also more productive as an overall disruptor. Granted, he had less sacks, but he generated the most pressure in the SEC last season.

Like posted by I think @BritCard, Darnell Wright said Ojulari was the toughest pass rusher he faced. Wright didn't just nullify Anderson Jr, he dominated him. In the scheme of a draft, the Cardinals passed on Anderson and added a ton of future draft capital and still walked away with a quality edge prospect in round two. The Cardinals won round one and two, but took two gambles in round three.
 

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