Beefing up on the line of scrimmage will always be attractive to Ossenfort

Darren Urban

The first pick Monti Ossenfort made as general manager of the Cardinals was an offensive lineman.

He spent a first-round pick in his second draft on a defensive lineman.

From the day Ossenfort and coach Jonathan Gannon arrived, that basic view of roster building for the Cardinals has been apparent. The NFL has seemingly leaned more into those roots over the past couple of years, highlighted by what the Philadelphia Eagles built on both sides of the ball as they won the Super Bowl.

But as the draft approaches this week and the Cardinals again look closely at building on the trenches and specifically, use their first-round pick on someone large and on the line of scrimmage, as they did with Paris Johnson Jr. and Darius Robinson the idea that the NFL might be going retro doesn't hit. It's more like nothing has changed.

"I would say ever since I got into the business, it's been O-line and D-line," Gannon said. "You watched the Super Bowl, and it was evident. I think people are talking about it a little bit more, but since (Monti) got into the business, since I got into the business, that's what you were taught from Day One."

A quick refresher: The Cardinals did a nice job upgrading the depth of the defensive line this offseason, adding Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell to a group that includes Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones returning from injury and youngsters Dante Stills and Robinson.

The offensive line could play a game today, but guard is a position that could use depth or a future starter, or maybe a tackle with right side starter Jonah Williams going into a contract year.

The draft is littered with defensive linemen that have talent, enough so that perhaps waiting until after the first round makes sense. Offensive linemen particularly tackle have a smaller pool of high-end possibilities.

Of the players potentially there at 16, Texas tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., Oklahoma guard Tyler Booker, Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons are the offensive lineman discussed as potential picks. Simmons is coming off an injury; Banks has been projected by some to be better suited at guard in the NFL.

Gannon said with O-linemen, the role each would have if and when they were drafted has already been planned. And there is a desire to continue to build there.

"If I asked you what position group depends on no other position group to be good but every other position group depends on them to be good, what position group is that?" Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said last year. "Offensive line."

Defensive line and Edge likely have more options at 16, whether it is bigger guys like Kenneth Grant of Michigan, Walter Nolen of Old Miss or Derrick Harmon of Oregon, or outside like Georgia's Mykal Williams, Marshall's Mike Green or Tennessee's James Pierce.

"I treasure all pass rush," Gannon said. "What's cool about putting together a D-line room is (that) each guy has a little bit different role. Who's going to pick up that role to be that disruptive pass rusher inside, how are we going to deploy guys and how does it all fit together?"

The Cardinals have other areas that they could seek, even early. There are some cornerbacks of interest, maybe the right wide receiver, perhaps even a special linebacker who drops.

But the trenches call. And even if the Cardinals worked hard to collect, for instance, defensive linemen, that doesn't eliminate the option.

"I learned a long time ago that what is perceived as a need or maybe not as a need one year and fast forward three, four or five months later or a year later, all of a sudden it is a need," Ossenfort said.