The Arizona Cardinals announced on Apr. 24 that they have selected offensive lineman Chase Bisontis with their second-round pick in the NFL draft. Bisontis, who played for Texas A&M, was chosen as the 34th overall pick and is expected to compete for a starting position on the team.
The selection of Bisontis addresses a key need for the Cardinals’ offensive line, which struggled at times last season due to injuries. The team hopes that adding depth and talent will help improve performance moving forward. According to the official website, the Arizona Cardinals are a professional football team in the NFC West division and serve the greater Phoenix area in Arizona according to their official website.
Bisontis started 35 of 36 games during his college career, playing both right tackle and left guard. He allowed only four sacks throughout his time at Texas A&M, with none surrendered in his past 18 games. “I’m willing to do anything the team needs,” he said. “They need me to snap, play tackle, I’m there.” Head coach Mike LaFleur said that Bisontis is “what you want in a guard” and praised his work ethic and athleticism.
General Manager Monti Ossenfort said he appreciates how much stronger the offensive line has become with recent additions like veteran Issac Seumalo and now Bisontis. The announcement of Bisontis’ selection was made by running back James Conner at the draft event held in Pittsburgh.
Bisontis expressed enthusiasm about joining teammates such as Jeremiyah Love: “it’ll be awesome blocking for him,” he said. He described himself as a smart player who understands defenses well but also called himself a “mean, nasty, tough football player” on the field while promising he’s different off it: “I think I’m good guy outside of football,” Bisontis said.
The Arizona Cardinals host home games in Glendale and are recognized as both an NFC champion from 2008 and as the oldest continuously operating professional football franchise in America according to their official website.