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The addition of first round pick Robert Nkemdiche has a lot of people excited -- and there is reason to be. He is considered to be a top-five talent who fell to the end of the first round.
So the Cardinals not only get a guy with a lot of talent, but also a player with a chip on his shoulder. They get a defensive lineman with an intense on-field demeanor, something that should excited fans.
An AZCentral article by Dan Bickley focuses on Nkemdiche's mentality and how it is needed for the Cardinals team. If you are hoping for a disruptive player, that's what the first rounder is going for. Nkemdiche says "there is no doubt" he is going to get into opposing teams' backfields and disrupt things. "And I'm coming angry," he said.
He embraces a mentality of violence on the field, while keeping friendly off the field. He describes himself as "peaceful" and "friendly" away from the gridiron. Once between the white lines, "that's all out the window."
“That’s my goal, to be the most physical person on the field, the most aggressive, and the one who brings the most energy,” Nkemdiche said. “It’s something you have to have inside. It’s something you come with. It’s not something that comes over the years. You just have to have that fire, that chip that you feed off of everyday. And it’s going to get worse, too. The more I understand the plays, the more aggressive I can be. I won’t have to think about my steps. I can just play.”
They have a defensive line led by Calais Campbell, another friendly guy off the field. But he also is nice on the field. He is productive and wants to dominate, but he doesn't talk the way Nkemdiche does. As a rookie, Nkemdiche might be the nastiest sounding guy in the trenches.
There was an edge lost when the team parted ways with Darnell Dockett. Nkemdiche has been compared to him. He looks and sounds a lot like him. But according to head coach Bruce Arians, Nkemdiche is "a little bigger, a little faster, a little stronger."
Take that and add football aggression, and you have a recipe for dominance. It's going to be fun to see this kid develop.