Cardinals GM Steve Keim Open to Keeping Arizona State Talent Home

The Cardinals would have no problem keeping in-state talent in the friendly walls of State Farm Stadium.

Author:
Donnie Druin
Publish date:
Apr 24, 2022 11:33 AM EDT

The relationship between the Arizona Cardinals and Arizona State Sun Devils is one of mutual respect and admiration.

Each year, all 32 teams participate in the NFL draft working to supplement their rosters with talent in hopes of eventually winning a Super Bowl.

The Cardinals, who have yet to do that despite coming close on a handful of occasions, may look towards their own back yard in hopes of achieving that goal.

"They have a number of good players. Obviously, they've done a good job of recruiting some talent over there. (I) talk to Marvin Lewis quite a bit about their players and obviously he's got a vast knowledge of what's playing in the NFL," Keim told Cardinals reporters.

"The back over there (Rachaad White) is a really good player, I really like some of the things that he's done. It's always nice to be able to try to get some local talent. Obviously drafting (running back) Eno (Benjamin) to me, it was fun because to have a guy that's local and all the ASU fans in the Valley that can sort of rally and support him. I think he's got a lot of upside. He's got a bright future in my opinion."

A handful of Arizona State players have recently ended up playing for the Cardinals.

Benjamin is currently on the roster, while former Sun Devils D.J. Foster and Zane Gonzalez previously donned Cardinals helmets.

In terms of immediate interest, incoming cornerbacks Jack Jones and Chase Lucas have met informally with the Cardinals during the draft process. Since they are local, they do not count towards Arizona's 30 allocated visits for draft prospects.

The Cardinals could also look to improve their offensive line unit in the middle rounds of the draft, which puts them in perfect position to potentially grab tackle Kellen Diesch or interior lineman Dohnovan West. Both have received rave reviews throughout the process.

White, of course, is a possible candidate for the Cardinals to add a second viable option at running back behind James Conner. White's pass-catching abilities and elusiveness in the open field perfectly complement Conner's physical style of running.

Arizona could potentially look to snag a Sun Devil after the draft as an undrafted free agent, as players such as tight end Curtis Hodges, linebacker Darien Butler and defensive lineman Tyler Johnson are expected to sign somewhere if they aren't drafted.

Everybody loves the story of a hometown player taking a pro team to new levels. Cardinals fans will cheer on anybody who could help them lift a Lombardi, yet watching a former Sun Devil do it would mean just a tad more.

While professional teams will look far past whatever helmet a prospect is wearing, the possibility of the Cardinals welcoming another Arizona State product to their roster shouldn't be discounted.

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