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Cardinals rookie LB primed to be Kyzir White replacement

Originally posted on Burn City Sports
By Tanner Tortorella | Last updated May 7, 2025 8:16 PM ET

GLENDALE – The Arizona Cardinals are being touted as the biggest winners of the 2025 NFL draft. The marquee names in the first tw0 rounds of DT Walter Nolen and CB Will Johnson has garnered most of the teams praise from experts. However, general manager Monti Ossenfort might’ve gotten the most important piece at 115th with Ohio State linebacker Cody Simon.

What Simon brings to the Cardinals:

After not resigning mike linebacker Kyzir White, the Cardinals needed to find his replacement. The task is easier said then done, but Ossenfort taking Simon in the fourth round is the perfect player to insert into defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ scheme.

Simon led the national champion Buckeyes’ defense as the field general. In his last season at Ohio State, he recorded 112 tackles, seven sacks, and seven passes defended. Pro Football Focus graded Simon as one of the most elite linebackers in the draft.

Arizona’s linebacker room needs a Simon type of player that has a lot of experience as the “green dot” of a defense. Simon appeared in 57 games at one of the premier programs in the nation at Ohio State. The 23-year-old was the team captain for the Buckeyes and ended his collegiate career with a national champion.

Ossenfort’s draft strategy appeared to take experienced players from winning programs to elevate the team’s defense, drafting three national champions in this past draft. The Cardinals will take a massive leap next season, and it’ll be off the backs of this rookie class, led by Simon, to take that jump.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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