2012 NFL Draft: Should The Arizona Cardinals Consider Drafting An Arizona State Sun Devil?

As many of the frequent visitors of ROTB know, I am an avid fan of Arizona State University athletics. Not only do I attend the school, but I also watch/attend as many of the football games as possible.

I have seen all of the former Sun Devils that are entering the draft play and after the request of one of our readers, I have been forced to ask myself: should the Arizona Cardinals consider drafting any of them? Let's take a look at a few of the players as well as their odds of staying in the desert after the jump.

The first name that we absolutely must take a look at is Vontaze Burfict. After a poor showing during the NFL Combine, many draft experts believe that Burfict's stock has fallen greatly. But if you are an ASU supporter, you already knew that this guy just wasn't destined to be a first round pick. He is often lackadaisical on defense as a middle linebacker, his tackling technique is poor and his attitude could definitely use some work.

Vontaze is not the type of player that I could envision on the Cardinals at this time. He has the potential to tear a locker room apart and his laziness both on and off the field are things teams want to avoid. Actually, I see him fitting in perfectly with the culture that the Jets are apparently trying to build.

Brock Osweiler also decided to leave school early, leaving ASU as a junior in hopes of attaining NFL fame. Many project that Osweiler will be a first-round prospect, mainly due to his size (he's about 6'7") and the cannon he just so happens to have attached to his arm. I watched Brock develop as a quarterback throughout all of last season and can say with almost complete certainty that he will be a successful player. But I also believe that his mechanics are a bit odd and that it will take him a couple of years to be NFL ready.

The Cardinals already have a big, project quarterback with John Skelton. With that said, I truly don't see any room for him on this team, especially if it would cost Arizona a high round draft pick. Here is some more info on Ozzy, in case you were interested.

The last player I want to examine, just for the sake of length, is Omar Bolden. Unfortunately, Bolden decided to return to ASU for his senior season, only to tear his ACL before it even began. Before that, he was widely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the Pac-12, if not the entire nation.

Due to his injury, his draft stock has fallen quite a bit. But that didn't stop Omar from showing up big time at the Combine. His most impressive stat came in the bench pressing category, where he managed to push up 225 pounds of weight 25 times, the most among all defensive backs.

Bolden is definitely a player I would love to have on the Cardinals. A team can never have enough cornerback depth and Omar is the perfect guy that one could ask for on their football team. He is hard working, dedicated and extremely talented when healthy. I can definitely see the Cardinals using a mid to late pick on an athlete of his caliber.

Some other Sun Devil names to look out for in the draft include Jamaar Jarrett (defensive end), Garth Gerhart (center) and Gerell Robinson (wide receiver). Jarrett could be a solid young backup for the Cardinals and Robinson would be another big target for Skelton and Kevin Kolb. I am obviously biased, but I can see all three of them having successful professional careers.

If you want to read more about the ASU players, how they performed at the combine, draft projections, etc. head on over to our sister site/brother blog, House of Sparky. They have all the Sun Devil information you could ask for over there.

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