After parting ways with 2023 starting left tackle D.J. Humphries, the Arizona Cardinals have a plan to fill his position. Instead of slotting free-agent addition Jonah Williams into Humphries’ old spot, head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed that Paris Johnson Jr., the sixth overall pick in the 2023 draft, will move from right to left tackle.
“I think [the plan is] going to be good,” Gannon told reporters. “Paris playing both positions, Jonah playing both, we’ll start there and see how it goes. Through the first three weeks on the grass, that’s what they’ve been doing, and that’s what they’re both comfortable with right now.”
Gannon added that he is not committed to the decision and would be open to switching either player if necessary.
Johnson spent his rookie season on the right side while Humphries played left. The 6-foot-6, 313-pounder played 1,129 snaps, allowing eight sacks, 42 pressures, 26 hurries, and eight QB hits, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Johnson is not new to playing left tackle, excelling at the position during his junior year at Ohio State in 2022, where he allowed just 14 pressures, 12 hurries, and two sacks over 827 offensive snaps. The previous year, he played right guard without allowing a sack.
Williams has more experience at left tackle, having played 3,066 snaps at the position during his four years in Cincinnati, but he seemed more comfortable on the right side last season. His sacks allowed dropped from 13 to eight, and his pressures and hurries also decreased.
Additionally, Gannon hinted that starting center Hjalte Froholdt might play guard if needed. Froholdt played 1,123 snaps at center last season, allowing 23 pressures, 16 hits, and three sacks.
The Cardinals struggled to find consistency at left guard in 2023, rotating players like Elijah Wilkinson (501 snaps), Trystan Colon (315 snaps), Carter O’Donnell (117 snaps), and Dennis Daley (140 snaps). Wilkinson and O’Donnell are tackles, while Colon is a natural center.
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