Arizona Cardinals Top Five Position Battles
Battle for Right Tackle: D.J. Humphries versus Bobby Massie
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; D.J. Humphries (Florida) is selected as the number twenty-four overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
With the 24th pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Cardinals selected offensive tackle D.J. Humphries from the University of Florida. Humphries played left tackle at Florida, and has the talent to potentially handle the position in the NFL. This may certainly come in handy down the road, but with Jared Veldheer holding down left tackle for the Cardinals, Humphries’ best chance to start right away is at right tackle.
The only man standing in his way is Bobby Massie, who started each and every game at right tackle for the Cardinals last season. Massie is a solid player, and at 25-years-old, I do not expect the Cardinals to simply give up on him. That being said, he clearly does not bring the same upside at the position as a guy like Humphries.
Humphries is lauded for his great length and athleticism as an offensive lineman. He is very quick off the snap, and has great balance and technique in pass protection. Humphries also has nice upper body strength and pure power. His upside as a pass protector is massive, and his run blocking skills do not lag far behind.
Humphries’ quickness and athleticism makes him a potentially game changing player on the offensive line. Simply put, his potential is pretty much limitless. Because of this, I am sure the Cardinals would love to see their first round pick dominate in training camp and put a strangle-hold on the right tackle position.
That being said, his skills are a little bit raw, and if he does take a some time to adjust to the NFL, it is certainly nice to have Massie ready and willing to step in. Regardless, having three tackles of the caliber of Veldheer, Humphries and Massie is a very nice thing for the Cardinals to have in their arsenal.
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