The Arizona Cardinals just snagged defensive tackle Coziah Izzard, plugging a serious hole after rookie DT Kaleb Proctor got hit with a season-ending IR trip. Proctor’s meniscus tear in early June during OTAs left the defensive tackle room wide open, and the Cards wasted no time trying to fill that void. They signed Izzard after he came in for a tryout with other players on Tuesday.
From Penn State Standout To NFL Journeyman
Man, Izzard’s journey to this point has been a wild one. This guy, all 6′-3″, 305 pounds of him, was an absolute animal in high school. Four years straight, All-Conference. Senior year, he led his school to a state championship. Twenty-three major college offers, can you believe that? He ended up at Penn State, and even though the pandemic made him a fifth-year senior, he still put up solid numbers: 50 games played, 7 starts, 78 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. But even with that stellar college campaign, he went undrafted last year. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, had a decent camp, but got released on the final cutdown day. He signed to their practice squad, then got waived. Four days later, the New Orleans Saints scooped him up for *their* practice squad for all of 2025. He even inked a reserve/futures contract in January before *they* released him on June 17. It’s been a grind for Coziah.
An Uphill Battle In A Crowded Room
So now he’s with the Cardinals, right? They brought him in after that tryout, desperate to replace Proctor. But let’s be real, this ain’t no cakewalk. Izzard’s been inserted into a defensive tackle depth chart that’s already got EIGHT guys fighting for spots in training camp. And get this: the club usually only keeps four defensive tackles and five defensive ends. FOUR DTs! That means four guys are gonna make it, and four are going home. The projected starters are Walter Nolen and Roy Lopez, so that leaves just two open spots for the taking. And you’ve got veterans like Andrew Billings, L.J. Collier, and PJ Mustipher, who are apparently favorites to lock down those final two spots. This isn’t just about making the team for Izzard, it’s about securing a spot and then proving he belongs in a rotational lineup.
It’s a huge moment for Izzard. After all those ups and downs, from being a high school champ with 23 offers to getting cut multiple times, this is his chance. He’s got to show up big, like “tremendous training camp” big. The competition is fierce with Billings, Collier, and Mustipher all gunning for those final spots. This isn’t just another camp for Izzard; it’s a make-or-break situation to finally stick on an NFL roster and carve out a role. Keep an eye on the Cardinals’ defensive line battles; they’re gonna be intense.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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