Opinion: Cardinals’ most under-rated defensive players

Here’s a little recognition for some of the Cardinals’ under-the radar players on defense

In a previous opinion article, here were my choice for the Cardinals’ most under-rated offensive players:

• QB Clayton Tune
• RB Emari Demercado
• WR Greg Dortch
• TE Elijah Higgins
• C Hjalte Froholdt
• G Will Hernandez
• T Kelvin Beachum

In my opinion, the team’s most under-rated defensive players are:

• DT Roy Lopez

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I believe that the Cardinals’ defensive line coach, Derrick LeBlanc, is one of the more unheralded assistants on the staff. The job that he did in preparing his defensive line each week, thanks to a host of injuries and lack of veteran depth, was impressive.

One of the best examples is the job that LeBlanc did with 2023 UFA Roy Lopez, the former 2021 6th round pick of the Houston Texans who was coming off an injury-riddled 2022 season. Lopez, a University of Arizona alum, started 5 games and was a key DI rotation player in 14 games. He finished the season with 29 combined tackles, 2nd among his position group (Kevin Strong had 31) and was tied for 4th among all the defensive players for stops, with 24 behind Kyzir White (30), Dennis Gardeck (27) and Kevin Stong (27).

Roy Lopez’s 65.4 PFF grade was head-and-shoulders the best DI grade on the defense and was the 6th highest grade of all of the defenders who logged over 350 snaps.

• DE Cameron Thomas

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When Cameron Thomas was drafted in the 3rd round in 2022, to me he looked like a Zach Allen type of fit at 34DE. Thus, to hear Steve Keim project Thomas ,at 6-5 270, as an NFL OLB was immediately disconcerting, especially given Keim’s propensity for 34 LB positional gaffes. However, to see Cameron Thomas during his rookie season bonding in the DI room with JJ Watt was very encouraging, as were his 19 QB pressures and 3 sacks. The former San Diego St. Aztec can get off the ball in a hurry and finish with aplomb.

Per reports, after Cameron Thomas earned a 58.5 grade at OLB this past season while generating 16 QB pressures, 0 sacks, 18 tackles and 12 stops, the coaches are handing him over to Derrick LeBlanc this year to have Cam focus entirely on playing 34DE and honing his pass rushing skills from the interior. I believe this is where he belongs and where he could thrive.

• ILB Owen Pappoe

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I thought that Monti Ossenfort and Dave Sears tabbed a 5th round steal in 2023 with the selection of Auburn’s super speedy and athletic WILB Owen Pappoe. At 6-0, 225, Pappoe is a smaller than average ILB, but with his blazing speed, range, blitzing ability (vs run and pass) and pass coverage quickness, if the front 4 can keep him clean, he could be a productive playmaker.

NextGen stats had him ranked as the 5th best LB in his class with a 79 grade:

• 70 production grade which was 18th of all LBers
• 91 athleticism grade which was 1st among all LBers by virtue of his 4.39 40, 35.5” vertical, 10’6’ broad jump and an impressive 29 reps at 225.

While I expected that the coaches would create a niche nickel LB role for Owen Pappoe from the get-go, that never happened. And despite that fact that the Cardinals were struggling at WILB (Josh Woods in 11 starts at 31,8), Pappoe finally got his opportunity to take rotational snaps over the last 6 games. And he rose to the challenge in 113 snaps, posting the highest ILB grade on the team at 65.3., He flashed as an inside blitzer, generating 3 pressures, 2 QB hurries and 1 batted pass and was above average in pass coverage (69.9).

• CB Kei’Trel Clark

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Kei’trel Clark was having a decent start to his rookie season when, during the Rams’ game in LA, the coaches isolated him one-on-one on All Pro Cooper Kupp. Kupp caught a go-route from the slot on Clark, who was given no free safety help on the play.

It took a perfect dime from QB Matthew Stafford because Kei’Trel was running stride for stride with Kupp. As soon as Kupp snatched the pass, Clark took him down (pictured above).

A few plays later, Clark was assigned once again to cover Kupp who was lined up wide in a goal-line situation, where Clark had no inside safety or linebacker help —- which forced Clark to shade/leverage Kupp to the inside. Seeing this, Matthew Stafford threw a timing pass to the pylon away from the leverage —- which typically for Stafford and Kupp is an automatic slam dunk TD.

With the ball being thrown before Kupp made his break to the outside, Clark had no chance to recover.

Under both circumstances, Kei’Trel Clark played Kupp as hard and as well as he could.

He showed up on the injury report Week 7 with a mild hamstring strain, but that was just a one week posting.

Fact is after the Rams game in Week 6, the coaches benched Clark for the next 5 games.

Finally, when Clark had a chance to play again, it was also against the Rams, this time at State Farm Stadium.

This was Kei’Trel Clark’s response:

• 70.1 PFF game grade
• 9 tackles to lead team (tied with Budda Baker)
• Gave up 2 catches on 4 targets (50%) for 5 yards (2.5 ypc).

Despite this stellar effort, Clark was not given another start over the last 5 games and played sparingly in only one versus the Steelers.

The coaches’ preference was to start Starling Thomas V, who showed some aggressive traits (and could have a bright NFL future), but he did not play nearly as well as Kei’Trel.

• Kei’ trel Clark: 53.0 PFF. 37 tackles,29 catches on 40 targets (72.5%) for 343 yds. (11.8 ave.), 2 TDs, 2 PBUs, 1 penalty,
• Starling Thomas V: 46.1 PFF. 34 tackles, 37 catches on 46 targets (80.4%) for 441 yds (11.9 ave.), 5 TDs, 2 PBUs, 2 penalties.

Need to see Marco Wilson’s (41.4) stats? Given 11 starts?

Kei’Trel Clark is baller.

Confused as to why the coaches treated him the way they did. By all accounts Kei’Trel balls it up big-time in practice every day:

• S Joey Blount

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Whenever Joey Blount stepped on the field on Special Teams and in the Cardinals’ defense, he popped off the film as a ballhawk. Here he was sealing the Cardinals stunning 35-31 upset victory over the Eagles. with this leaping interception.

What the Cardinals need is a rangy playmaker on the back end of their defense. I believe that adding combo safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson in the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft was a coup. Yet. with DTD’s versatility there are times when he is going to come up and play the slot and thus, having a 6-1 201 free safety with 4.4 speed and a 38” vertical like Joey Blount gives the Cardinals excellent flexibility.

• Joey Blount’s PFF grade on Special Teams in 2023: 90.0 (1st on team). 2nd in tackles with 6. 1st on the unit with 2 forced fumbles.
• Joey Blount’s PFF grade on the defense in 2023: 66.9 (25 snaps)