During the 2021 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals made a rather unconventional decision by selecting inside linebacker Zaven Collins with their first round selection. This came as a shock to many because the club used their previous first-round pick on an inside linebacker in Isaiah Simmons.
Flash forward to 2022 and both players are slated to be the starting inside linebackers for the team. There has been some criticism surrounding the team as both players did not get much playing time during their rookie seasons. In the team’s blowout loss to the Rams in the wild card round, Collins logged only eight defensive snaps.
This season, however, it appears the team is ready to live or die by their back-to-back first-round linebackers. The team released standout Jordan Hicks this offseason, so it would seem the jobs safely belong to Simmons and Collins.
