TEMPE – Arizona Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon touched on his key pillars of the foundation he wanted to lay during his introductory press conference this offseason.
His keys to success? Adaptability, wit, violence and explosion. In short, elite football character.
And after undergoing his first NFL Draft in his new role, Gannon feels confident early on that each of the nine prospects the Cardinals landed carry those specific traits.
“I think the thing that stands out that I’m most pleased with is the character of the guys,” Gannon said Tuesday. “That was important to me and (general manager) Monti Ossenfort, our entire staff.
“We know that guys with high character usually hit their ceiling and help you win games as a team.”
For defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, two names immediately jump off the page like BJ Ojulari and cornerback Garrett Williams.
Ojulari goes to Arizona after wearing the famous jersey with no. 18 at LSU, given to the Tiger who best exemplifies the program.
It’s an honor that both the linebacker and the Cardinals don’t take for granted.
Williams, meanwhile, brings an added level of grit and violence that can really rub off on Rallis’ eyes.
“We got to meet those guys at the (NFL Draft Combine) and it was just evident in those short meetings — you’re almost speed dating — and you finish those interviews and you’re like, ‘Wow,'” he said Tuesday. .
“With Garrett and BJ, you’re like, ‘Wow.’ Those guys, you talk about character football, and what does that mean? They’re willing to do whatever it takes to hit their ceiling. In just 20 minutes, their love for the game shows in those guys.”
On the other side of the ball, offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is seeing a relationship between quarterback Kyler Murray and the No. 6 overall and forward Paris Johnson already taking shape in less than a week.
It’s definitely a step in the right direction, and one that should extend beyond just the couple.
“You always want that connection,” Petzing said Tuesday. “I think guys who feel close to each other in terms of common goals, guys who have respect for each other and have that relationship, tend to play harder for each other. It’s great to see this and it’s certainly just the beginning.
#AZCardinals OC Drew Petzing is pleased to see QB Kyler Murray and rookie OL Paris Johnson Jr. already creating a connection.
“Guys who have respect for each other and have that relationship tend to play harder for each other. It’s good to see that.”
🎥: @Tdrake4sports pic.twitter.com/vHjThkfNA2
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) May 2, 2023
“And it won’t be just between the two of them. It has to be between everyone on that field and in that meeting room. I think it’s a good start and there’s certainly a long way to go.”
Every member of Arizona’s 2023 draft class deserves to know where they came from and what they’ve just accomplished. Getting drafted in the National Football League is no easy feat.
There is a time to celebrate, but there is also a time to work.
And when the newcomers head to the desert for rookie minicamp in just over a week, the group’s focus should be solely on the latter.
“These guys have put in a lot of work to get to this point where they’re getting that call and the sacrifice that goes into it since they were kids,” Gannon said.
“But now, what I’m going to talk about with them is that it really doesn’t matter how you got into the building, what matters is what you do from here. … It’s a ticking clock and coaches are no different. At some point, this organization will say, ‘We value you’ or ‘we don’t value you’. … Your clock starts over, you start from zero.”
