Arizona Cardinals Impressed With Late-Round Rookie

It's not often where a fourth-round pick from the NFL Draft could start immediately, though such is reality for Arizona Cardinals rookie Cody Simon.

Simon, a stud inside linebacker taken out of Ohio State, finds himself in a room that lost previous starter Kyzir White to free agency with no signs of bringing him back.

Though the Cardinals did sign Akeem Davis-Gaither, it's believed the other starting job opposite of Mack Wilson Sr. is wide open entering training camp.

It's too early for any calls, though Simon has impressed early in his tenure here in the desert.

Arizona Cardinals Rookie Best Surprise of Offseason - ESPN

When going through the biggest surprise for each team, ESPN's Josh Weinfuss listed Simon as Arizona's with the following excerpt:

"The 2025 fourth-round pick has made a quick impression on coach Jonathan Gannon in a short amount of time. He's taken on the responsibility of wearing the green dot, which has added to the steep learning curve that comes with a player's first year in the NFL, but Gannon has praised Simon's ability to learn quickly from his mistakes," wrote Weinfuss before attached the following quote from Gannon:

"He's definitely flashed here," Gannon said. "We got him playing a couple different spots, so that's good. He is playing on fourth down right now, so he is learning all that. He's eager to learn. He doesn't make mistakes twice and he's got juice. He's physical, just like all those guys. Long way to go. But I like where he is at."

Can Cody Simon Make Instant Impact for Arizona Cardinals?

Simon called the defense for Ohio State last season and was the defensive MVP in both the Rose Bowl and the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Simon's profile boasts him as a tough but athletic inside linebacker who may need some time to develop before being thrown into the fire of running an NFL defense, though the rookie believes he's prepared.

“I think the biggest part is at MIKE linebacker (in the NFL) you’re expected to know a lot of stuff and you’re expected to be able to control the defense and have all the checks ready to go,” Simon told Arizona Sports' Burns and Gambo.

“I’ve been prepared these last couple years at linebacker in college, so that was a big jump.”

When the pads come on for training camp will truly tell whether or not the Buckeye product is ready, though there's no doubting he's been impressive since his arrival.