Once viewed as the darling of the draft, Jason Pierre-Paul has slipped down several draft boards over the last few weeks.
It's really due to the lack of experience.
It's not due to his three names. Which I find cool. A uniform nightmare. But cool.
JPP (as I will call him the rest of the article...it's difficult to keep typing Jason Pierre-Paul) only played one full season for the South Florida Bulls after transfer from junior college.
However, in that one year, apparently NFL scouts saw enough to like from the JuCo transfer.
The 6'5", 270 lb. defensive end clearly has all the physical tools to be a great NFL pass rusher.
So the Cardinals, I imagine, would pick him if he were still available at 26. It's a long shot however, as many teams are high on him and his potential.
He would definitely help Arizona in the pass rush. I imagine he would eventually start opposite Joey Porter in the 3-4 hybrid scheme the Cards run.
He's the very type of player the Cards like to pick too- an athletic freak that fills a big need. Beanie Wells and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie follow that trend.
And, going back to his name, JPP would be the second first round draft pick in three years with a hyphenated last name (the other the aforementioned DRC)!
But his potential is his biggest positive. There are some negatives, however:
First off, his stats aren't that great from last year. He had only 6.5 sacks.
Now granted, that'd be okay in the NFL for a part-time pass rusher. But for a guy with so much potential, you'd think he got twice that last season at S. Florida.
As well, according to scouts, he's not great against the run. He needs to bulk up a bit, and he doesn't get off the line as well (according to nfl.com).
Not that that's a complete loss for the Cardinals--their run defense is actually pretty good. They just need to get to the QB.
Plus, he would seem to fit the 4-3 scheme a little better than the 3-4. I know I mentioned he could be a 3-4 OLB earlier, but the 4-3 would suit his lack of run defense better as well as his pass rush skills.
But as I mentioned earlier, if he falls to the Cardinals, I would be a little surprised if they didn't take him. He would greatly improve their pass rush, and could be a star for years.
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