Will New Coach Impact Cardinals Draft Decision?

The Arizona Cardinals found their new offensive line coach in Ohio State Buckeyes OL coach Justin Frye after losing Klayton Adams to the Dallas Cowboys.

Frye's arrival from Ohio State marks his first coaching stint in the NFL, and there's some immediate connections.

The Cardinals have taken two Ohio State players in the first rounds of both drafts under general manager Monti Ossenfort - one of whom Frye worked with closely in left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. while receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. was also on the offensive side of the ball.

Could another Ohio State/Frye connection make its way to the desert?

The Cardinals are in need of a fresh presence at right tackle with starter Jonah Williams injured and moving into the last season of his deal.

One of the top tackle prospects in this class is Buckeyes lineman Josh Simmons - who suffered a torn ACL but should be ready for training camp. Simmons was recently mocked to Arizona in a ESPN mock draft:

"The Cardinals are unsettled at offensive tackle; Kelvin Beachum is set to become a free agent, and Jonah Williams played only six games this season because of injuries. Simmons also suffered an injury, sidelined for the season after a knee injury on Oct. 12. But the 6-foot-5, 310-pounder was making a play to be this draft's OT1 prior to getting hurt, not surrendering a pressure or sack in the six games he played," wrote Jordan Reid.

Simmons likely is a prospect Arizona would have targeted regardless of hiring Frye - Ohio State continues to produce elite NFL talent year after year for a reason. Their success rate is higher than most schools.

Though there could be an advantage with Frye's newfound presence, however.

Teams are always looking to gain opportunities to get a true/authentic grasp on who players are in all aspects during the draft process, and Frye's obvious close relationship with Simmons should be able to give the Cardinals a clearer picture of the sort of person he is.

That's important to key decision-makers such as head coach Jonathan Gannon.

“I think we've been intentional in our mind what we want the Arizona Cardinals players to look like," Gannon said on creating a culture within the organization.

"Monti, myself, (Owner) Michael (Bidwill), the coaches and Monti’s staff. I think that we've done a really good job of acquiring guys that are kind of like-minded about how they go about their business. I think the more guys you have like that the respect level is there, the accountability level is there, and those guys typically connect with each other very easily."

The Cardinals won't draft Simmons simply because Frye worked with him, though the extra homework could help Arizona identify what sort of player he is easier.