2019 Cardinals Draft Profile: OT Yodny Cajuste

2019 Cardinals Draft Profile

Name:

Yodny Cajuste

Twitter:

@YC_RICH4EVER  

Position:

Offensive Tackle

School:

West Virginia

Height:

6-5

Weight:

320

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Projected:

4th Round

Stats:

2015 (RS FR): 7 Games Played

2016 (RS SO): 1 Game Played (Season ending ACL tear)

2017 (RS JR): 12 Games Played

2018 (RS SR): 11 Games Played

Bio:

Cajuste was a three-star recruit out of Miramar High School in Florida. He played both basketball and football in high school. His large frame allowed him to put on weight while remaining exceptionally athletic for a big man. He was named to the Big-12 second team in 2017 and the Big-12 first team in 2018. He was also one of three players named Big-12 lineman of the year. After a season-ending ACL injury in the 2016 season opener, Cajuste returned to start in 23 straight games for West Virginia before sitting out the team’s bowl game to finish 2018.

Team Fit:

Cajuste has the physical traits to be an effective swing tackle right out of college. He needs some work with his technique but he has the initial quickness and strength that scouts and coaches look for. His footwork can be fixed but he will have growing pains adjusting to the size and speed of the NFL and edge rushers. He’s projected to go anywhere from the third to the fifth round. A solid week of practice in the Senior Bowl will do wonders to elevate his stock. Ultimately Cajuste easily slots into a power or gap scheme but has the versatility to succeed in any scheme. Arizona would do well to select Cajuste on day two of the draft.  

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Strengths:

He is a strong man. Cajuste has the size and strength to be a dominant blocker. His growth from 2017 to 2018 is noticeable and he shows the ability to evolve as a blocker. Plus pass blocker and has physical tools to become very good in the ground game. Strength is apparent in solid punch when engaging with defender. Cajuste looks comfortable in pass protection and rarely gets beat with bull rush.Has the length and size that allows for more strength. If technique can be fine tuned, could easily become a dominant blind side protector within a few seasons.  

Weaknesses:

Cajuste shows a penchant for leaning beyond his feet. As a result, he often lunges when run blocking due to lack of proper balance. He tends to take long strides when run blocking which further puts him out of position. Lack of balance allows defenders to use swim move or slap his hands during initial engagement. If defenders can deflect his initial punch, he will likely be off-balance and able to speed by. Cajuste needs to get better at finishing blocks rather than just shoving defenders backward. One major concern is his injury history after missing nearly all of 2016 to an ACL tear. There was also a hamstring injury at the end of 2017.

– Ryan Adverderada is the Managing Editor for Full Press Coverage Cardinals. Like and follow on Follow @ryanadverderada Follow @Cardinals and Facebook.