Cardinals Day 3 Pick Could Become Instant Starter

The Arizona Cardinals only picked six players in the NFL Draft, but each of them have potential to be a big part of the team moving forward.

Among those players is Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon, who was selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft with the No. 115 overall pick.

NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter named Simon as the third-likeliest Day 3 pick who could compete for a starting job in their rookie season.

"Kyzir White's contract ran out and he remains unsigned, creating an opening in the Cardinals' linebacker corps. Simon can drop into coverage effectively and looks like he's shot out of a cannon when blitzing in the A-gap or coming off the edge. I suspect he'll be a factor on special teams and should be lining up with the 1s at some point in the season, if not for the opener," Reuter wrote.

Simon had 112 tackles with Ohio State this past season as they went on to win a national championship. He led the team in tackles and could be an impact player for the Cardinals right away.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein also believes Simon can be a starter someday soon.

"Inside linebacker with a stout frame, good toughness and adequate talent. Simon plays with decent instincts and awareness to diagnose the action," Zierlein wrote.

"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 will participate in the Cardinals rookie minicamp from Friday until Sunday.