The Arizona Cardinals look for a number of things in a player prospect when they prepare for the NFL draft. The physical traits are a given. General manager Steve Keim also looks for two other important traits — passion and love for football, and also the ability to process information.
He might like offensive tackle prospect Jedrick Wills.
His game tape is good. He has good athletic traits.
Wills prides himself in the mental part of the game.
“I feel like I have a really good football IQ. It’s something I take pride in,” he said at the NFL combine. “I try to keep the (mental errors) to a minimum. I’m an athletic player and I like to dominate people.”
This year might be a greater challenge for rookies, as the beginning of offseason work with teams will be delayed with the coronavirus pandemic. Wills didn’t know at the combine that would be the situation but expects he will be able to play right away.
“I’m a very fast learner,” he said. “My high football IQ is something I preach on. I’ll get into the playbook as fast as I can. The measurables and the physical comes along with that. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you won’t be able to do anything. I just like to learn as fast as I can.”
Wills is a promising lineman. If he is as quick a learner as he says he does, that combined with his physical traits could set him up for a long, successful career.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
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