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:
- 2024: ORE —- Tackling grade: 29.3. Missed tackle rate: 26.7%
- 2023: MST —- Tackling grade: 55.2. Missed tackle rate: 12.2%
- 2022: MST —- Tackling grade: 40.4. Missed tackle rate: 18.5%
Conversely:
Kenneth Grant’s tackling prowess the past 3 seasons:
- 2024: MICH —- Tackling grade: 69.0. Missed tackle rate: 5.9%
- 2023: MICH —- Tackling grade: 77.5. Missed tackle rate: 6.5%
- 2022: MICH —- Tackling grade: 76.3. Missed tackle rate: 0.0%
Plus, there’s this fact:
Sack Totals Last 2 Years Combined:
- Harmon: 6.5
- Grant: 6.5
You want DTs who can stop the run and rush the passer. Sure, Derrick Harmon may have had the best pass rush win rate, but he only had 5 sacks. Over the pass 2 seasons, both Kenneth Grant and Derrick Harmon have recorded 6.5 sacks. 2024 Tackling grade: Grant: 69.0; Harmon: 29.3.… https://t.co/cUUklcWW6u
— Walter B J Mitchell (@WBJMItch) March 29, 2025
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
“There are times you watch Kenneth Grant, you’re like ‘that’s an alien'” pic.twitter.com/cSC3HQEuOy
— PFF (@PFF) March 28, 2025
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.