Drafting star-crossed DT Robert Nkemdiche in 2016 was an organizational decision. Blessed with all kinds of explosive physical talents, Nkemdiche was an underachiever at Ole Miss and then, in a drunken stupor at a party, he fell from a second story balcony about as fast as he slid down the 1st round draft board.
The Cardinals spent a good deal of time with Diche before the 2016 draft. Steve Keim and Bruce Arians were high on Diche’s talent and thought they could be getting a Darnell Dockett type disruptor to eventually fill the void of defensive line standout Calais Campbell---a player whom Arians called out for underperforming during the Cardinals’ 2015 13-3 season.