The Arizona Cardinals address the trenches by selecting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the No. 16 overall pick in a mock draft from Yahoo! Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald.
Harmon is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound lineman for the undefeated Ducks, who are set to play Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.
Arizona needs to shore up its defensive line if it wants to get serious about winning the NFC West. Harmon from Oregon is a talented player who can help the Cardinals get better up front immediately.
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Harmon transferred to Oregon from Michigan State, and he boosted his draft stock with a disruptive season for opposing backfields. He has racked up 42 total tackles, five sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hits in 13 games, primarily playing in the B gap.
The junior leads FBS interior defensive linemen with 52 pressures, well ahead of the pack as SMU’s Jared Harrison-Hunte is second with 43, according to Pro Football Focus.
Oregon DT Derrick Harmon is the number 22 overall player on my latest big board and one of the biggest risers. It didn't take him long to show up against Michigan. pic.twitter.com/upeQepm6aL
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) November 2, 2024
He also forced two fumbles for a defense that ranks 12th in scoring (17.8) and 10th in yards (301.9).
Harmon made the Associated Press All-America second team and the All-Big Ten second team.
#Oregon iDL Derrick Harmon vs. Washington
Powerful pocket pusher and so reliable against double teams. Michigan St. transfer has been one of the best transfer portal additions in the country. pic.twitter.com/fVAnnzPVkD
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) December 2, 2024
The Cardinals drafted defensive end Darius Robinson with the No. 27 overall pick last year, although a calf injury delayed his NFL debut to Week 13. The defensive line has dealt with injuries all year, with veteran free agent additions Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones spending most of 2024 on injured reserve. Nichols and Jones are both on three-year contracts.
L.J. Collier, Dante Stills and Roy Lopez have the most snaps up front for the Arizona defensive line this season. Collier and Lopez are both free agents after the season, and they’ve combined for eight sacks and 12 quarterback hits.
Arizona’s draft slot is far from set with two weeks to play and a 7-8 record. It is one of five 7-8 teams while three others are 8-7.
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