Arizona Cardinals should target RB Trey Sermon in 2021 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals let starting running back Kenyan Drake walk in free agency this offseason, leaving an obvious hole for the team at the position. While my first thought is to give Chase Edmonds a larger role in the offense and see what he can do, Edmonds will be a free agent himself after the 2021 season. Are the Cardinals really going to pay him a premium if he comes out and shines as a full-time back next season? I have my doubts.

With this in mind, the Cardinals should be looking towards the 2021 NFL Draft to fill their running back need. Ideally, Arizona would be able to find a talented player who can come in and perform well in a committee with Edmonds as a rookie, and also provide long-term value. However, the Arizona Cardinals are not exactly loaded with 2021 NFL Draft.

As things stand now, the Cardinals hold their own selections in the first and second round, but will not go on the clock again until the fifth round. They also currently hold two seventh-round selections. With limited draft capital available, the Arizona Cardinals will likely be looking to find running back value on Day 3. In particular, Trey Sermon out of Ohio State stands out as a strong fit for this team.

Sermon was a strong contributor at Oklahoma for three years, before transferring to Ohio State for his final college season. He exploded onto the scene late last season, leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Championship and a spot in the National Championship Game. Sermon was absolutely dominant in the Big Ten Championship game against Northwestern, carrying the ball 29 times for 331 yards and two touchdowns. He was also fantastic in the Buckeyes’ win over Clemson in the National Semifinal, totaling 193 rushing yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.

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Simply put, Sermon was incredible down the stretch and was a huge reason for the Buckeyes’ success. He suffered a shoulder injury on his first carry against Alabama in the National Championship Game and did not return. Ohio State missed Sermon in a big way in that game and not having him available was a major reason for their loss.

Why Trey Sermon is a great fit for the Arizona Cardinals

Sermon now enters the 2021 NFL Draft as an interesting running back prospect who certainly has plenty of value in the later rounds. He consistently showed great vision throughout his college career. Sermon consistently operated with a ton of open space at both Oklahoma and Ohio State and did a great job of finding the correct hole quickly.

He does not show ideal short-area quickness but Sermon is an explosive downhill runner who shows great burst through the hole and legitimate breakaway speed. Sermon is also a tough and physical runner who has an obvious power element to his game. He does a great job of consistently moving forward after the point of attack and shows tremendous balance through contact.

Sermon does a tremendous job of finding the hole quickly, shows great burst in the open field and is a difficult player to tackle for any one defender. He also shows exciting ability as a receiver out of the backfield, creating separation with a variety of routes and getting upfield quickly after the catch.

This prospect undoubtedly has exciting three-down upside at the next level and will be a great value selection later in the 2021 NFL Draft. Sermon’s power would pair well in a committee with the quick and shifty Chase Edmonds and he would undoubtedly bring long-term upside to the mix.

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The Arizona Cardinals have an obvious need at the running back position and are unlikely to want to make a significant investment in the position. With that in mind, Sermon stands out as a clear target for the team.

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