Denmark's first position-player draft pick has become a dependable, iron-man center for Arizona.
Hjalte Froholdt broke ground as the first Danish position player ever drafted into the NFL, and nearly a decade later he's a steady fixture up front for the Cardinals. After stops in New England, Houston and Cleveland, he found a home in Arizona, where he now anchors the offensive line and wears a captain's patch.
Path to the league
Froholdt starred at Arkansas from 2015 to 2018, first as a defensive lineman before moving to the offensive line, where he earned All-SEC recognition as a guard and started 37 games. The New England Patriots drafted him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, making him the first Danish-born position player selected in league history and the first Dane invited to the NFL Combine.
Career highlights
Froholdt's career has taken him from New England (2019-2020) to Houston (2020-2021) to Cleveland (2021-2022) before he landed with the Cardinals in 2023, where he settled in as the starting center. Arizona signed him to a contract extension, and he was named a team captain for the 2025 season, one of three players to wear the 'C' for the first time.
2025 season recap
Froholdt started all 17 games at center for Arizona in 2025, joining tight end Trey McBride as the only Cardinals to play every offensive snap-eligible game. He logged 1,121 offensive snaps and earned a 69.4 overall PFF grade, ranking 14th among qualified centers with his pass-blocking grade placing 9th at the position.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Hjalte Froholdt
- Pro Football Reference: Hjalte Froholdt
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Center
- Group
- offense
- College
- Arkansas
- Hometown
- Svendborg, Denmark
- Age
- 29
- Status
- active
