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Arizona Cardinals Solidify OL With Selection of D.J. Humphries

By Dan Schmelzer

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Sitting with the 24th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals were nearly in a dream scenario. Probably their biggest need on the roster was at pass rusher, and elite pass rush prospects were falling.

That is until the Pittsburgh Steelers stole Bud Dupree with the 22nd overall pick, and the Denver Broncos traded up to the 23rd overall pick for Shane Ray. While they haven’t been able to find a pass rusher yet, offensive tackle D.J. Humphries is going to help this team tremendously.

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At 6-foot-5, 307 pounds, Humphries has ideal size to be an NFL tackle. He is a very strong player who has incredible athleticism for an offensive lineman. Humphries get an incredible jump off of the line of scrimmage, and has a ton of quickness and agility in both pass protection and run blocking.

Humphries is a bit of raw prospect who needs to work on his technique. He has some work to do, but there is plenty of room to grow. Physically and athletically, Humphries has all of the skills to be a great tackle at the next level, but his talent is certainly raw. There is some downside for Arizona here.

Having said that, they are in a good position to handle his downside. Humphries certainly has the talent to be a day one starter. He is likely to be the starter at right tackle from the get go. That being said, Bobby Massie is a solid player for the Cardinals at the position. If Humphries appears to need more time, the Cardinals would be just fine going forward with Massie as the starter at right tackle.

Obviously, the Cardinals did not select him in the first round to sit on the bench, but the time to grow is there if needed.

Based on athleticism along, Humphries is likely to be able to handle his right tackle duties right away. With great quickness and athleticism, Humphries is a natural in pass protection. His run blocking skills do lag behind a little bit, but he shows plenty of upside as a run blocker as well, bursting off of the line of scrimmage and reaching the second level with complete ease.

With Jared Veldheer currently holding down the position, the Cardinals do not exactly have a need at left tackle. Veldheer is a very solid player who does a great job protecting quarterback Carson Palmer. That being said, with incredible upside as a pass protector, Humphries certainly shows the potential to handle left tackle in the NFL.

Not being expected to play left tackle right now is nice, but the Cardinals certainly love that he has the upside to handle the position in the future.

More than anything, Humphries ability to pass protect is probably the reason he was the Cardinals’ selection at 24th overall. Head coach Bruce Arians loves to throw the ball deep. Getting max protection for your quarterback is obviously a huge key when looking to throw deep.

Book-ending the offensive line with Humphries and Veldheer gives Arians plenty of opportunity to allow Palmer to throw deep to his talented group of receivers. Finding his future left tackle makes this pick a great one.

Next: 2015 NFL Draft: Live Day 1 Updates, Grades and Analysis

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