Former first-round pick Robert Nkemdiche has been an enigma in Arizona, often drawing the ire of former coach Bruce Arians for never quite letting his talents reach their potential ceiling.
"From the little bit of film I've observed and watched, he obviously at times jumps off the tape," Holcomb said of the Cards' defensive tackle, via azcentral sports. "He's got some ability. That's something that as we get into Phase 1 and Phase 2, we're going to sit down and discuss some things and try to find out exactly what makes him tick. And as a coaching staff, we have to try to do the best thing that we can to get the most out of him and continue to develop his talents and get him on the field. That's why we're here."
Nkemdiche has always shown promise in his football career, even prior to college and the pros, when he topped most high school recruiting site's national rankings. At Ole Miss, though, he had an up-and-down career (both on and off the field), leading NFL Network analyst and former scout Bucky Brooks to label him as "the biggest boom-or-bust prospect in the draft."
So far, it's mainly been bust in Arizona. Nkemdiche has played in just 17 total games the past two seasons, logging a mere 12 total tackles.
But, as Holcomb noted this week, the flashes are there. Perhaps all the DT needs are Wilks and Holcomb's fresh faces to bring it out of him consistently.
