Cardinals Take Ohio State LB in NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals kicked off Day 3 festivities in the 2025 NFL Draft with Ohio State ILB Cody Simon in the fourth round.

Simon, taken with the 115th overall pick, joins a draft class consisting of Walter Nolen, Will Johnson and Jordan Burch.

The Cardinals lost starting inside linebacker Kyzir White to free agency but did sign Akeem Davis-Gaither to play next to Mack Wilson.

More from his scouting report from NFL.com:

"Inside linebacker with a stout frame, good toughness and adequate talent. Simon plays with decent instincts and awareness to diagnose the action. He takes decent paths to the ball and is adept at slipping blocks or playing into them without losing much gap integrity. He’s athletic with average pursuit speed to chase and tackle wide. He’s technically sound as a tackler but has short arms, so positioning will be key to prevent broken tackles. Simon has enough talent for three-down consideration and should be able to help on special teams until he proves he’s ready to go from backup to starter."

Simon was elected as a Buckeyes team captain in 2024 and was a big part of their run to the national championship. He earned defensive MVP honors in the semi final and national title game on top of All-Big Ten honors.

Simon finished the 2024 season with 112 tackles and seven sacks.

The Cardinals continue their track record of drafting Buckeyes, as Simon now joins Paris Johnson Jr. and Marvin Harrison Jr. as Ohio State players to receive a phone call from general manager Monti Ossenfort.

Simon will likely begin his career in Arizona as a backup inside linebacker but could feature on special teams in 2025.