Cardinals Draft By Position

[Mitch]

While the Cardinals say they are going to take BPA---realistically they will be looking to attend to their needs and wants at C, CB, S, QB, PR, P. Steve Keim might decide to go BPA at #29 and then cater the remaining picks to need. However, I think Keim will hope that BPA will be at a need spot.

There are three ways I see this going---

#1:

1. Pass rusher
3. DB
4. OL
5. QB
5. PR
6. Punter

#2:

1. DB
3. Pass rusher
4. OL
5. QB
5. PR
6. Punter

#3:

1. OL
3. DB
4. Pass Rusher
5. QB
5. PR
6. Punter

Menu #1: (bolded---players whom i think will be taken prior to the Cardinals' pick at that spot, but if not, could be a boon.)

1. Leonard Floyd, Georgia; Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky; Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss; Shedlon Rankins, Louisville; Kevin Dodd, Clemson; Kamalei Correa, Boise St.; Emmaunuel Ogbah, Oklahoma St.; Vernon Butler, Louisiana Tech; Jonathan Bullard, Florida; Kenny Clark, UCLA; Javon Hargrave, South Carolina St.

3. T.J. Green, Clemson; Sean Davis, Maryland; Miles Killebrew, Southern Utah; KeiVarae Russell, Notre Dame; Ryan Smith, North Carolina Central; Justin Simmons, Boston College; Jeremy Cash, Duke; Cyrus Jones, Alabama; Deiondre Hall, Northern Iowa; Jalen Mills, LSU; Will Redmond, Mississippi St. Xavien Howard, Baylor; Harlan Miller, SE Louisiana; Zack Sanchez, Oklahoma; Eric Murray, Minnesota; DeAndre Houston-Carson, William & Mary; Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee St.

4. Christian Westerman, Arizona St.; Jack Allen, Michigan St.; Isaac Seumalo, Oregon St. Graham Glasgow, Michigan; Max Tuerk, USC; Austin Blythe, Iowa, Evan Boehm, Missouri; Spencer Drango, Baylor; Jerald Hawkins, LSU; John Theus, Georgia; Kyle Murphy, Stanfpord; Joe Haeg, North Dakota St.; Cole Toner, Harvard; Fahn Cooper, Mississippi; Alex Lewis, Nebraska; Caleb Benenoch, UCLA; Tyler Johnstone, Oregon; Landon Turner, North Carolina; Sebastian Tretola, Arkansas; Rees Odhambo, Boise St.; Connor McGovern, Missouri; Joe Dahl, Washington St. Jordan Walsh, Iowa; Kyle Friend, Temple; Joe Thuney, North Carolina St.

5A. Cardale Jones, Ohio St. Jake Coker, Alabama; Jacoby Brissett, North Carolina St.;Kevin Hogan, Stanford; Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky; Nate Sudfeld, Indiana; Vernon Adams, Oregon; Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech; Cody Kessler, USC.

5B. Jakeem Grant, Texas Tech; Morgan Burns, Kansas St.

6. Lachlan Edwards, Sam Houston St.; Tom Hackett, Utah; Drew Kaser, Texas A&M;

Menu #2:

1. Vernon Hargreaves III, Florida; William Jackson III, Houston; Mackensie Alexander, Clemson; Eli Apple, Ohio St.; Kenau Neal, Florida; Karl Joseph, West Virginia; T.J. Green, Clemson; Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech; Artie Burns, Miami.

3. Carl Nassib, Penn St.; Adam Gotsis, Wake Forest; Kyler Fackrell, Utah St. Jordan Jenkins, Georgia; Joe Schobert, Wisconsiin; Victor Ochi, Stony Brook; James Cowser, Southern Utah; Matt Judon, Grand Valley St.; Adolphus Washington, Ohio St.; Chris Jones, Mississippi St.; Maliek Collins, Nebraska; Shedon Day, Notre Dame; Matt Ioannidis, Temple; Willie Henry, Michigan;

4. See OL Menu #1.

5A. See QB Menu #1.

5B. See PR Menu #1.

6. See Punter Menu #1.

Menu #3:

1. Ryan Kelly, Alabama; Cody Whitehair, Kansas St.; Joshua Garnett, Stanford; Germian Ifedi, Texas A&M; Jason Spriggs, Indiana.

3. See DB Menu #1

4. See Pass Rusher Menu #2.

5A. See QB Menu #1.

5B. See PR Menu #1.

6. See Punter Menu #1.

Which scenario of these three makes the most sense to you? From the menu or adding your own choices, what would be your preferred mock?

Some examples are:

#1:

1. Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson
3. KeiVarae Russell, CB/S, Notre Dame
4. Spencer Drango, C/G, Baylor
5. Nate Sudfeld, QB, Indiana
5. Jakeem Grant, WR/PR/KR, Texas Tech
6. Lachlan Edwards, P, Sam Houston St.

#2:

1. Kendall Fuller, CB, Virginia Tech
3. Adam Gotsis, DT/DE, Wake Forest
4. Joe Dahl, C/G, Washington St.
5. Nate Sudfeld, QB, Indiana
5. Jakeem Grant, WR/PR/KR, Texas Tech
6. Lachlan Edwards, P, Sam Houston St.

#3:

1. Cody Whitehair, C/G, Kansas St.
3. Ryan Smith, CB, North Carolina Central
4. Matt Ioannidis, DT/DE, Temple
5. Jake Coker, QB, Alabama
5. Jakeem Grant, WR/PR/KR, Texas Tech
6. Lachlan Edwards, P, Sam Houston St.

Draft Works Cardinals' Way:

1. Sheldon Rankins*, DT/DE, Louisville; or Robert Nkemdiche*, DT, Mississippi
3. T.J. Green*, CB/S, Clemson or Sean Davis*, CB/S, Maryland
4. Isaac Seumalo*, C/G, Oregon St. or Joe Thuney*, C/G, North Carolina St.
5. Cardale Jones*, QB, Ohio St. or Jacoby Brissett*, QB, North Carolina St.
5. Jakeem Grant*, WR/PR, Texas Tech or Morgan Burns*, CB/PR, Kansas St.
6. Lachlan Edwards*, P, Sam Houston St. or Tom Hackett, P, Utah

* Note: The Cardinals have met with or worked out all of these players except for Hackett (as far as I know).

* Trade Down? I think that if there is a WR or RB or S the Cardinals really like, they will trade down and add the extra pick. Ideally, it would be to #31 with the Broncos so that they can stay in the 1st round and still be able to draft a player who comes with a 5th year option.

* Trade Up? It will take the #29, #92 and possibly a 2017 2nd or 3rd rounder to get into the late teens early twneties---but---here are the players, imo, Steve Keim would consider trading up for:


DT/DE Sheldon Rankins, Louisiville
OLB/DE Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky
OLB/DE Leonard Floyd, Georgia
LB Myles Jack, UCLA (if he slides into the mid to late teens b/c of knee)
CB Vernon Hargreaves (if he slides into the mid to late teens)
CB William Jackson III, Houston (perhaps a few spots to get ahead of Pittsburgh and Kansas City)

I would say Shaq Lawson, but I think he is going top 10 and the Cardinals would have to include this year's 1 & 3 and next year's 1 & 2 and possibly more to move up to #9 or #10.

I would say they might move ahead of Seattle to take C Ryan Kelly, but the way they talked about picking up a C later in the draft, I don't think they would move up for Kelly.

Wild Cards at #29: (players who won't be anywhere close to being on the board at #92, so Steve Keim takes one of them at #29 because he loves the fit).

QB Paxton Lynch, Memphis
QB Christian Hackenberg, Penn St.
QB Connor Cook, Michigan St.
QB Dak Prescott, Mississippi St.

RB Derrick Henry, Alabama

OL Cody Whitehair, Kansas St.

WR/PR Sterling Shepard, Oklahoma
WR/PR Braxton Miller, Ohio St.
WR/PR Corey Coleman, Baylor
WR/PR Michael Thomas, Ohio St.
WR/PR Will Fuller, Notre Dame
WR/PR Josh Doctson, TCU

LB Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame
LB Su'a Cravens, USC

S Keanu Neal, Florida
S Karl Joseph, West Virginia
S T.J. Green, Clemson
S Sean Davis, Maryland
S Myles Killebrew, Southern Utah

* Steve Keim loves to draft BPA especially at a position that in a year's time will be of great need---which in this case will cost likely be: RB, WR, G, DE, LB, S.

 

[WildBB]

Do you really see X. Howard lasting well into the 3rd.

 

[Mitch]

Do you really see X. Howard lasting well into the 3rd.

I think it is possible, especially seeing as I think there will be quite a run on QBs and defensive linemen. If I were to bet---I'd say Howard is off the board at #92. But I think it could be close.

 

[WildBB]

I think it is possible, especially seeing as I think there will be quite a run on QBs and defensive linemen. If I were to bet---I'd say Howard is off the board at #92. But I think it could be close.

The way the draft lines up, I see them going, DL, DB, OL, QB, Bpa....

If that happens, I wonder how they will procede with CC. That'll be interesting.

There is of course the possibility that they just can't let one of the CB's slide past.

 

[Garthshort]

Mitch, fantastic job as always. One position that you didn't highlight is ILB. We go up against two VG RB's 2X a year in Gurley and Rawls, with Elliott (SF) a possible third, so I think that we need an ILB that can match up with them. And my guess is that Arizona would love to get the OSU LB, Lee with their first pick. Unfortunately, he'll probably be long gone, so I think that SK would fall back to the OL and target Kelly. If he also is off the board, I see them staying with the OL and selecting the #2 guy on your OL menu, Cody Whitehair. But, every year someone falls through the cracks, and I'm hoping it's Lee.

 

[Vermont Maverick]

I have seen a mock with WR Laquon Treadwell lasting until the second round. Though crazy, I would add him to your Wildcard WR list (I kjnow those guys you have listed are combination PR guys). If he is there, I think we take him, regardless of perceived "need". I see him as another Alshon Jeffrey, who lasted until the middle of the second round.

Also, I can't agree with your thought behind that wildcard list. You are suggesting that Kiem will take a guy who is clearly not rated that high on his board, just because he doesn't have a pick the next round. That's the definition of a reach, and Kiem simply won't do that. Unless it's a QB, when all bets are off for reaching. Like Hackenberg.

(to which most would actually say: )

 

[Mitch]

Mitch, fantastic job as always. One position that you didn't highlight is ILB. We go up against two VG RB's 2X a year in Gurley and Rawls, with Elliott (SF) a possible third, so I think that we need an ILB that can match up with them. And my guess is that Arizona would love to get the OSU LB, Lee with their first pick. Unfortunately, he'll probably be long gone, so I think that SK would fall back to the OL and target Kelly. If he also is off the board, I see them staying with the OL and selecting the #2 guy on your OL menu, Cody Whitehair. But, every year someone falls through the cracks, and I'm hoping it's Lee.

I think fans are feeling more urgent about the SILB position than BA or SK. They like Kevin Minter in the base defense (and I have to say I thought he progressed this past season and could be very good this year in his contract year)---and they like subbing an extra safety or faster ILB in for Minter in sub packages. Plus, they like backups Alani Fua and Gabe Martin---so, I am not so sure we will see an ILB type taken by the Cardinals in this draft unless it is another hybrid S/ILB like your fave Darron Lee, Su'a Cravens, Keanu Neal, Myles Killebrew or Jeremy Cash. I think they would love it they could keep both ILB on the field for all situations.

 

[Mitch]

I have seen a mock with WR Laquon Treadwell lasting until the second round. Though crazy, I would add him to your Wildcard WR list (I kjnow those guys you have listed are combination PR guys). If he is there, I think we take him, regardless of perceived "need". I see him as another Alshon Jeffrey, who lasted until the middle of the second round.

Also, I can't agree with your thought behind that wildcard list. You are suggesting that Kiem will take a guy who is clearly not rated that high on his board, just because he doesn't have a pick the next round. That's the definition of a reach, and Kiem simply won't do that. Unless it's a QB, when all bets are off for reaching. Like Hackenberg.

(to which most would actually say: )

Maybe I didn't phrase my thought well enough. Put it this way---the players I listed as Wild Cards are players that Keim most likely will only have one shot at drafting because all of them will be well off the board by #92. That being the case, if one of these players is the kind of impact player BA&SK feel is the best fit for the team, they could decide, let's take him at #29, or let's trade down and hope he's still there and add another pick in the process.

For example, someone else (please remind me who you were) recently suggested that WR Braxton Miller is exactly the kind of player BA loves---and I agree with that thought 100%---it would not surprise me at all if they stayed at #29 and took Braxton Miller or traded down just a few picks figuring he would still be available. I think there are a handful of players that BA&SK see as perfect fits and if any of them are there at #29, then regardless of position, they will take their guy there.

 

[Vermont Maverick]

Maybe I didn't phrase my thought well enough. Put it this way---the players I listed as Wild Cards are players that Keim most likely will only have one shot at drafting because all of them will be well off the board by #92. That being the case, if one of these players is the kind of impact player BA&SK feel is the best fit for the team, they could decide, let's take him at #29, or let's trade down and hope he's still there and add another pick in the process.

For example, someone else (please remind me who you were) recently suggested that WR Braxton Miller is exactly the kind of player BA loves---and I agree with that thought 100%---it would not surprise me at all if they stayed at #29 and took Braxton Miller or traded down just a few picks figuring he would still be available. I think there are a handful of players that BA&SK see as perfect fits and if any of them are there at #29, then regardless of position, they will take their guy there.

I agree, if we trade down, and pick up extra picks, it is not necessarily reaching. If you have a guy as a second round value, and you trade to approximately that spot in the round, and pick up an extra pick then you are getting value. However, if you think a guy is a mid-second round value and can't trade down, then if you take him at the end of the 1st when other players are ranked ahead of him, then you have reached.

 

[Mitch]

I agree, if we trade down, and pick up extra picks, it is not necessarily reaching. If you have a guy as a second round value, and you trade to approximately that spot in the round, and pick up an extra pick then you are getting value. However, if you think a guy is a mid-second round value and can't trade down, then if you take him at the end of the 1st when other players are ranked ahead of him, then you have reached.

Good points, Maverick, the thing about "rankings" is that they are so subjective. I was very impressed to hear SK say that he does not pay any attention to what the pundits think, that he and his scouts trust their own eyes and evals---which means that a guy like WR Braxton Miller who has a 2rd round grade from Kiper, McShay and Mayock, may actually have a 1st round grade from Steve Keim and scouts.

Interestingly, I don't know if you read this today or not, agent Leigh Steinberg, one of the giants in the industry, just threw a combo of verbal punches at ESPN's Todd McShay for saying what Steinberg considered to be completely bogus statements about QB Paxton Lynch's maturity. Steinberg reminded McShay and the media that McShay never even played college football or worked for a college of NFL staff of any capacity, and yet he is a so-called draft "expert"? Back in the day the Colts' GM lit into Kiper in similar fashion after Kiper roundly criticized the Colts for passing on a QB near the top of the draft.

I will say this---no one can convince me that there are 20 players in this draft better than RB Derrick Henry. Yet, because the RB position has been "devalued" in the draft because you can get good ones later on and because the so-called pundits are nitpicking over his lack of elusiveness, he's got a 2nd round grade by every nationally known pundit and he is not mentioned in any of the hundreds of 1st round mocks that I have seen. Yeah, people say he was the product of the Alabama system and great o-line, but every game I saw, the other teams were keying on Henry big-time and more than 50% of the time took away the initial hole, and yet, Henry consistently shuffled his feet until he found a crease and burst through it like an All-Pro. His game speed is outstanding. Plus, I never saw him take a dive even when there were walls of 3 players charging him. Furthermore, I saw him repeatedly out-race SEC secondaries and Clemson's. To me he's a Top 10 pick. I would be ecstatic if the Cardinals took him---heck, MB, BA & SK were all sitting right there at U of P watching Henry dominate the NCAA Championship Game. I think a tandem of David Johnson and Derrick Henry for the next 3-5 years would be tremendous and I think it could help Carson Palmer actually play for that many years more.

 

[WildBB]

D. Henry could def. make an OL look better than they are.

I think they are happy CJ is back however.

R/B has been devalued, but Henry has the desire and hunger to be great. He and Gurley would have some very good duals as opposing RB's. in this division.

I could see them using DJ in a H-back role.

 

[CardLogic]

I will say this---no one can convince me that there are 20 players in this draft better than RB Derrick Henry. Yet, because the RB position has been "devalued" in the draft because you can get good ones later on and because the so-called pundits are nitpicking over his lack of elusiveness, he's got a 2nd round grade by every nationally known pundit and he is not mentioned in any of the hundreds of 1st round mocks that I have seen. Yeah, people say he was the product of the Alabama system and great o-line, but every game I saw, the other teams were keying on Henry big-time and more than 50% of the time took away the initial hole, and yet, Henry consistently shuffled his feet until he found a crease and burst through it like an All-Pro. His game speed is outstanding. Plus, I never saw him take a dive even when there were walls of 3 players charging him. Furthermore, I saw him repeatedly out-race SEC secondaries and Clemson's. To me he's a Top 10 pick. I would be ecstatic if the Cardinals took him---heck, MB, BA & SK were all sitting right there at U of P watching Henry dominate the NCAA Championship Game. I think a tandem of David Johnson and Derrick Henry for the next 3-5 years would be tremendous and I think it could help Carson Palmer actually play for that many years more.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Take Henry at #29 and turn him into an rush OLB.

 

[Mitch]

I've said it before, I'll say it again: Take Henry at #29 and turn him into an rush OLB.

I don't see why he couldn't rush the ball 10-15 times a game and rush the passer 10-15 times a game. You and I have been wondering about this since NFL Network at the Combine showed how identical Derrick Henry's measurables are with Von Miller's. It's uncanny---same height, weight, 40 time, 3 cone, etc.

 

[SissyBoyFloyd]

1 29 Ryan Kelly, C, Alabama
3 92 Keivarae Russell, CB/S, ND
3 93 Willie Henry, DT, Michigan
5 170 Tyvis Powell, S, Ohio State

 

[Buckybird]

Mitch that board is awesome! Lots of hard work & great analysis that I'll be referring to on Thurs fri & sat

 

[Buckybird]

Mitch I'll be shocked as hell if the Cards drafted RN or Henry, I just don't think they are high on their board. Just don't see it, but hell I turned flips when Leinart was drafted as well lol

 

[Bert]

Good write up Mitch. Jaylon Smith is one of the biggest risk/reward guys in the draft. Before his knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl he was basically a lock as a top 5 pick. The guy looks like Dwash in his film. He does it all, tackles, gets pressure, covers. He might never be the same again, but he also MIGHT be the biggest steal in the draft. If he's there at 29 I would give him serious consideration.

I would also consider trading down a few picks and grabbing him early in the 2nd round. He is an interesting prospect forsure.