The Arizona Cardinals lost their preseason finale on Friday 42-38 to the Green Bay Packers. While the final score meant little, the play of many players mattered tremendously, as rosters must be cut down to 53 players by Sunday afternoon.
Cardinals fans have been waiting to see former second-round pick BJ Ojulari produce and show the pass-rushing talent he had as a rookie.
That disruptiveness finally showed up on Friday. He had a big game, logging four tackles, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss.
He played deep into every preseason game, partially because he has been pushed down the depth chart and partially because he really has only played two half-seasons in three years.
The question, though, is whether it was too little too late.
After all, his production came against deep backups.
He was competing with Eku Leota, who was consistent all offseason, all through training camp and also in the preseason. Leota had a half sack and two quarterback hits, and he can play a lot on special teams, something Ojulari has not done.
If Ojulari has actually turned a corner, his talent is undeniable and probably surpasses everyone else in the room except for Josh Sweat. But can he be counted on to produce vs. starters, and can he hold a roster spot without being a special teams contributor like Leota?
We will know soon enough.
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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Arizona Cardinals OLB BJ Ojulari makes one final push for roster
