Cardinals take last-minute meeting with Georgia lineman

The Arizona Cardinals met with Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith on Wednesday, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter), squeezing in a final visit before the deadline. They also recently brought in Texas Tech edge Tyree Wilson, Albert Breer of SI.com notes, adding the Jaguars also met with the former Big 12 dynamo for a late visit (Twitter link).

The Cardinals hold the No. 3 overall pick. While Arizona has apparently dangled it in trades, the team has not yet received a viable offer, which opens the door to a best-defender-available pick. Wilson would qualify as an option at 3, though Smith — No. 17 on ESPN’s big board; No. 18 on Daniel Jeremiah’s — would seemingly enter Arizona’s equation in some kind of a trade-down maneuver.

Here is the latest from the D-line scene:

• Jarran Reed‘s initial Seahawks tenure ended strangely, with the team’s attempt at a restructure leading to a communication breakdown that ended with the defensive tackle’s release. After Reed sought a Seahawks extension during the offseason in which the COVID-19 pandemic led to a salary cap reduction, he signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs. That preceded a 2022 Packers pact. Reed is now back in Seattle, having signed a two-year, $9M contract this offseason. The veteran D-lineman said, via the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta, neither side wanted to part ways in 2021 and that he remained interested in a potential return to Seattle even while away. The Seahawks called Reed early in free agency and the sides agreed to terms on what is a less lucrative contract compared to the one the team removed from its payroll two years ago (two years, $23M). Reed, 30, will join Dre’Mont Jones as a DL addition for the Seahawks upcoming.

• BJ Ojulari resides as a possible option for a team late in the first round or in the early second, and a few teams brought in the LSU alum recently. The Jets, Buccaneers, Panthers and Texans have met with Ojulari during the evaluating season, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). The younger brother of Giants outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari, BJ profiles as a speed rusher. He combined for 12.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons with the Tigers, declaring for the draft after his junior year. Azeez Ojulari went 50th overall in 2020.

• Both the Colts and Steelers have met with Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, per Rapoport and ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor (Twitter links). Bresee is in Indianapolis on Wednesday. A former top-five recruit, Bresee is not a candidate to go in the top five of this draft. But the multiyear Clemson starter joins Myles Murphy as a Tigers DL blipping on the Round 1 radar. The Steelers were earlier linked to Bresee and while the team recently re-signed Larry Ogunjobi, Cam Heyward is going into his age-34 season. The Colts, who added former first-rounder Taven Bryan in free agency, have DeForest Buckner signed for two more seasons.
• Buckner recently revealed he played all of last season with a UCL tear in his left elbow. Indicating he’s “not a quarterback or a pitcher,” Buckner said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) his injury will not require surgery. Buckner finished with eight sacks and a career-high 74 tackles in 2022. Although the Colts are at a crossroads after a wildly disappointing season, Erickson adds the team still views Buckner as a cornerstone. The former 49ers first-rounder is going into his age-29 season.
• Aaron Donald saw an injury sideline him for the first time as a pro. A high ankle sprain led the Rams superstar out of action, and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic notes the all-time great underwent a tightrope procedure to repair the injury (Twitter link). This is not an uncommon procedure; Tony Pollard underwent the same surgery in January. Donald, 32 next month, has also returned to full strength, per Rodrigue. Two years remain on Donald’s record-setting contract.