The Arizona Cardinals selected Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 168th overall.
The Georgia native recorded two seasons with more than 90 tackles during his Auburn career. Pappoe racked up 256 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and eight sacks over four seasons with the Tigers.
Arizona lands its second linebacker of the 2023 rookie class alongside BJ Ojulari.
The Cardinals bolster a linebacking group headlined by Kyzir White and Zaven Collins.
Pre-draft profile
Pappoe is one of the most athletic linebackers the NFL combine has ever seen, putting up a 4.39 40-yard dash, a 35.5-inch vertical, a 10-foot-6 broad jump, and 29 reps on the bench. Despite the ridiculous athleticism, the Auburn product will likely be limited almost exclusively to passing situations due to his size and propensity to give up his chest to blockers in the run game; once an offensive lineman engages with Pappoe, he's effectively deleted from the play. He did showcase enough patience to flow to the ball and not be immediately blocked, but he gave up too much ground too often. His athletic profile allows him to stick with route-runners, but he'll need to refine his technique to keep bigger tight ends and shiftier running backs from taking advantage of him in the NFL.
