The Arizona Cardinals take a linebacker from Ohio State.
The Arizona Cardinals couldn’t leave the 2025 NFL Draft without getting one Ohio State Buckeyes.
With the first pick of the third day the Arizona Cardinals selected linebacker Cody Simon.
From Dane Brugler’s The Beast:
A two-year starter at Ohio State, Simon was the Mike linebacker in former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ 4-2-5 base scheme, lining up mostly stacked with some reps in the slot. Despite a 2021 injury that sidetracked his trajectory, he stayed committed and confident and became the glue of the defense as a senior. He was awarded the “Block O” jersey in 2024 and led the team in tackles, proving his value throughout the College Football Playoffs (named defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl and national championship game).
With his instinctive, competitive play style, Simon limits mental mistakes and shows a natural feel for navigating blocking schemes to drive on the ball carrier. He has the functional athleticism to be a zone-coverage defender, although his lack of dynamic twitch and coverage anticipation will limit him when isolated in space.
Overall, Simon is urgent and decisive downhill with terrific key-and-diagnose skills, but he will need to prove not to be a liability on passing downs to ascend past role-player status. His intangibles will make him a favorite of the NFL coaching staff that drafts him.