I was one of just a handful of writers last season that refused to be fooled by the Arizona Cardinals. The pundits who picked the Cardinals to go to the Super Bowl outnumbered guys like me, who didn’t even think the Cardinals would make the playoffs, 3-to-1.
The Cardinals are a team that got real old, real fast, and very few of their free agent moves in the offseason addressed that problem. This might turn out to be the most important draft of Bruce Arians’ tenure in Arizona. He needs playmakers, and for the third year in a row, by God, the Cardinals need to draft a quarterback.
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Round 1, Pick 13: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
2016: 36 tackles, three for a loss, one forced fumble, five passes defended, two interceptions, one defensive touchdown
With the players left on the board here, the Cardinals could go a lot of ways, even addressing their quarterback situation. I don’t think they will. Instead, they should take Humphrey, who will team up with Patrick Peterson, Tyran Mathieu and Antoine Bethea to make the back end of Arizona’s pass defense better than it’s been in the team’s history. And that’s counting the Aeneas Williams – Pat Tillman years.
Round 2, Pick 45: Curtis Samuel, WR, Ohio State
2016: 74 catches, 865 yards, seven touchdowns, 97 rushes, 771 yards, eight touchdowns
The Cardinals can’t let the first two rounds go by without getting a wide receiver, and Samuel is a touchdown machine Arians will have a lot of fun using in their offensive attack. After cutting Michael Floyd, the Cardinals can’t lean on Larry Fitzgerald so much this season, his 15th. J.J. Nelson and John Brown can be role players, especially with Nelson’s speed, but the Cardinals need to look for a starting guy and a playmaker. Samuel fits the bill.
Round 3, Pick 77: Davis Webb, QB, California
2016: 61.6 completion percentage, 4,295 yards, 37 touchdowns, 12 interceptions
Webb was my No. 7-ranked quarterback prospect in what I feel is a legitimately solid class. He’s been moving up a lot of draft boards over the last few weeks and there’s even been rumblings of a first round pick. I don’t see that, but I will bet if the Cardinals don’t snap Webb up here in the third round, they won’t get another shot at him. At 6-3 and 240 pounds, he actually looks a hell of a lot like Carson Palmer and could bring the same skillset, with the career-long choking powers of the former Heisman Trophy winner.
Round 4, Pick: 119: Jayon Brown, OLB, UCLA
2016: 119 tackles, seven for a loss, 2.5 sacks, six passes defended, two fumble recoveries, three interceptions
Brown is listed as an outside linebacker, but with his skillset, especially in coverage, he’ll plug in as an inside linebacker in the Cardinals defense. They’re in dire need of bodies there after getting robbed in free agency. They’ve brought in Karlos Dansby to stop the bleeding, but Brown here could be the long term answer to line up with Deone Bucannon.
Round 5, Pick 157: Eddie Vanderdoes, DT, UCLA
2016: 27 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks
Vanderdoes is the prototype 3-4 nose tackle, eating up blockers and keeping guards and centers off the second level of the defense. The Cardinals currently just have warm bodies plugged into that spot, led by nine-year vet Corey Peters and a couple of undrafted free agents.
Round 5, Pick 179: John Johnson, Safety, Boston College
2016: 77 tackles, 2.5 for a loss, one sack, nine passes defended, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, three interceptions
Johnson will be an immediate upgrade over the Cardinals current backup safety, Tyvon Branch, who is about to play his 10th season of NFL football. Johnson, playing center field, will open up options for Mathieu to cover in the slot on nickle downs too.
Round 6, Pick 197: Artavis Scott, WR, Clemson
2016: 76 catches, 614 yards, five touchdowns, six rushes, 11 yards
Scott was lost in the conversation at Clemson, when looking at their elite players’ draft stock. He’s a solid, NFL possession receiver, that can step in as a slot or rotational guy immediately.
Round 7, Pick 231: Elijah Lee, OLB, Kansas State
2016: 110 tackles, 6.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, three passes defended, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, two interceptions
Like Brown, Lee is an inside linebacker in the Cardinals’ scheme, adding depth and, at 6-3 and 228, should be a formidable blitzer on passing downs.
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