Isaiah Adams facing gun charges in Toronto

The backups offensive lineman is now questionable to return. While his absence may not immediately be felt, it could be an issue if the Cardinals’ line thins out.

After joining Illinois out of JUCO, Adams (6'4/315) immediately slid into the lineup as the starting left guard and became a fixture there, recording 962 snaps with a team-leading 120.5 knockdowns while earning the second-highest PFF run-blocking grade among Big Ten guards (80.2) in 2022. For the first time in school history, Illinois was named a semi-finalist for the coveted Joe Moore Award, which is given to the best offensive line in the country each year. Signs were pointing up heading into 2023, with Adams looking like a brick wall at LG for the first two games against Toledo and Kansas, posting 83rd+ percentile pass block grades with zero pressures. Adams (6’042/315) performed every drill and test available at the combine, showing above average in every rubric with the exception of his 24.5-inch vertical and 22 bench reps being the only substandard tests he performed. Adams doesn’t move with a burst or lateral fluidity, which can expose his average quickness when playing tackle against freaky Big Ten edge rushers. When he’s locked inside at guard and just has to take on defenders within his space, he looks far more natural and is very difficult for even the most brutish three-techs to overpower when engaged.