There’s a thought that the Arizona Cardinals are a potential Super Bowl team for the 2016/17 season. It’s an incorrect thought, but a thought nonetheless. What the Cardinals are is a good team with a whole lot of old players and as can happen in the NFL sometimes, those players can get “too old” all at once.
The Cardinals, as of this writing, are in some salary cap trouble too. They’ve got less than $3 million available and will have to make some moves on that end to even get their draft picks signed. They’re going to have to make it work with what they have and some additional pieces in the draft.
With that in mind here’s the Arizona Cardinals Perfect Mock Draft.
To see every team’s Perfect Draft click here.
Round 1, Pick 29 – Mackensie Alexander, CB, Clemson
2015: 23 tackles, two for a loss, five passes defended, 5-foot-10, 190 pounds
Alexander’s stats are misleading because he was such a lockdown corner for the Tigers, teams just rarely tested him. Alexander came into Clemson as a star as the No. 4 overall recruit in the nation and leaves that same way. After Jalen Ramsey, Alexander, Eli Apple and Vernon Hargreaves could all be in different spots on every team’s board. He’s No. 4 on mine and that means the Cardinals snatch him up, park him opposite for Patrick Peterson in the defensive backfield, and dare every team in the league to try to pass on them.
Round 3, Pick 92 – Jordan Howard, RB, Indiana
2015: 296 carries, 1,213 yards, 6.2 yards per carry, nine touchdowns, 11 catches, 106 receiving yards, one touchdown, 6-foot-0, 230 pounds
Howard transferred to Indiana from UAB and performed even better against improved competition. The Cardinals are stacked at running back, but Chris Johnson is on a one-year deal and none of the other backs on the roster have the potential that Howard does at the pro level. His biggest games were against the best competition with 238 yards against Michigan’s top-ranked defense jumping off the page. It’s a third-round pick at 92 and while the Cardinals have other needs, as a value pick Howard is the way to go.
Round 4, Pick 128 – Henry Krieger Coble, TE, Iowa
2015: 35 catches, 405 yards, one touchdown, 6-foot-3, 249 pounds
The Cardinals have lived with journeymen and stopgap players at this position for years. It’s time to develop a guy that can lock down the tight end spot. Krieger Cobble is a project, but one that can pay off as a downfield blocker and a red zone target. He averaged 11.6 yards per catch for the Hawkeyes last season and can work free of the press and sit in the zone as good as anyone in this draft.
Round 5, Pick 167 – Montese Overton, OLB, East Carolina
2015: 70 tackles, 10 for a loss, 7.5 sacks, seven passes defended, 6-foot-2, 223 pounds
Overton is a little small for an regular outside linebacker in the NFL, but what he could turn into is a thumper strong safety. The fact that he’s probably 30 pounds lighter than you’d want comes with 4.50 speed. Overton’s weight never stopped him from being a dominant strong-side linebacker for the Pirates.
Round 5, Pick 170- Doug Middleton, Safety, Appalachian State
2015: 53 tackles, one for a loss, 0.5 sacks, three passes defended, 6-foot-0, 209 pounds
Middleton has been a star for App State over the last two seasons. While his numbers last season were good, his junior year production was off the charts. He had 74 tackles and four interceptions. With Rashad Johnson leaving town for Tennessee in free agency, the Cardinals need to add some bodies to the defensive backfield. Adding a playmaker with an FCS chip on his shoulder would be a good start.
Round 6, Pick 205 – Dean Lowry, DE, Northwestern
2015: 52 tackles, 13 for a loss, three sacks, one interception, five passes defended, one fumble recovery, 6-foot-6, 296 pounds
Lowry amped up his production every season for the wildcats and was a consistent disruptive force in the opposing team’s backfield. He’s fast for a defensive lineman too, putting up a 4.87 40 at the combine and following that up with a 4.81 at his pro day. That comes with a 32.5 inch vertical, which led to plenty of swatted passes in his time at Northwestern.
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