Cardinals’ young defensive ends show potential

FLAGSTAFF - Did the Cardinals get the 2008 draft right?

The answer may well lie in the progress of the two defensive ends they picked in Rounds 2 and 4.

The Cardinals were trying to plug holes in a defensive unit that wore down because of late-season injuries. Adding “depth” means finding players who can fill in for the starters without losing much impact.

But if you listen to one of those picks, Calais Campbell, the second-round pick out of Miami (No. 50 overall), he won’t be a backup for long.
“I plan on not only being a starter but one of the premier players in the league,” Campbell said.

If looks count for anything, he could do it.

Campbell has the body of a Greek god and can run all day long. He easily outran all the other linemen in his conditioning test (300 yards, twice).

“I’ve always been able to run pretty good. It was good to get out here at the altitude and still be able to run.”

He doesn’t think he embarrassed the older players.

“I think they just know to get through it and get their times. I wanted to push myself, try to challenge myself, so I pushed myself to the limit.”
If Campbell does that on the field, he should be pretty good.

He enjoyed an outstanding sophomore season at Miami (10.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss), then tailed off as a junior before turning pro.
Why the downturn?

Offensive linemen concentrated on him more and, “Our defense struggled. … And I think I got kind of comfortable with my routine in my workouts.

“I didn’t work on the little things as much as I should have, my footwork and hand placement — the things that make you a dominant player instead of just a good player.

“I learned from my mistakes. I used everything I learned from those years to become a better pro.”

Coach Ken Whisenhunt acknowledged that Campbell is impressive physically.

“The big test … will be how he holds up against those big guards and tackles, especially when he’s double-teamed,” Whisenhunt said. “Can he win one-on-one when he’s got the pass rush? That’s going to be the transition.”

Cardinals defensive line coach Ron Aiken said Campbell’s upside is “unbelievable.” After watching him in pads for a couple of days, Aiken said: “He’s physical. That’s the key thing you don’t know about defensive linemen until you put the pads on.”

For now, Campbell is playing on the left side of the line, Iwebema the right.

(eastvalleytribune.com)