The Arizona Cardinals have a hit-and-miss with the pass rushers. Josh Sweat is the main force, but his bookend is a hodgepodge of guys such as Darius Robinson, Dante Stills, and Jordan Burch. The main production is only coming from one source. Everyone else is just getting a paycheck.
The Cardinals need to draft a productive pass rusher this year.
RELATED: EDGE ZION YOUNG PROFILE
Keyron Crawford is a good pass rusher with athletic traits, but he hasn’t been playing football for very long. He will need
more seasoning, but he has promise once he learns the next level. He continues to develop technique.
He was a star basketball player and is twitchy, and comes out with high energy as a productive pass rusher. He might begin in special teams, but he has the potential to be a good disruption in the offensive backfield. His best football is still to come.
EDGE Keyron Crawford
Draft projection: Round 4
Cardinals pick: #104
———————————————————————–
Specifics:
Interceptions: 1
Career Tackles for Loss: 24
Career Pass Defenses: 2
Accolades: Third Team All-SEC
Positives:
- Very quick laterally
- Good burst off the line
- Solid instincts in zone
- Outstanding overall athleticism
- Solid production
Negatives:
- Instincts aren’t perfect
- Struggles to shed blockers
- Doesn’t set the edge consistently
- Rush moves are less predictable
- Tackling technique needs work
- Needs development
Expert Draft Site Analysis
A strong athlete along the edge, Crawford fires off the line of scrimmage with an explosive first step and has good bend to get around tackles. He has active hands as his pass rush plan is primarily built around cross-chops (below), a two-hand swipe, and rips. Crawford is versatile along the front seven and plays with plenty of effort and energy, which shows in his hunt after quarterbacks and fighting against bigger linemen in the run game. His effort in the run game allows him to survive at times, but his build will likely limit him against NFL offensive linemen.
