At another message board, I was participating in a mock draft where each team had a general manager drafting for them. I was, naturally, in charge of the Cardinals.
The play started nearly a month ago, but the only thing that has changed are my thought on some players, and I didn’t select any of them so it’s not really relevant, and to some extent what I think would be the best way to upgrade the Cardinals.
My thought process going into the mock draft was that
I would have liked to trade back with this pick, given how the round developed, but was unable to get the value I wanted.
Initially, I drafted offensive guard, David Yankey, with this pick. I think he is such a good and athletic run blocker that would fit right in at right guard. I know Fanaika got an extension in-season, that they are probably high on Watford and I assume they signed Christian Johnson for a reason (and Colledge is somewhat of an mysterious situation), but I also thought that none of those things would equal the upgrade Yankey would give the team. Yankey played left tackle as a freshman so he has added value in that regard, as he can probably still play tackle in a pinch. When I made the pick I was in serious doubt if I should select Yankey or Pryor, as I rate them almost equally, but because Yankey was the best offensive lineman on my board, he ended up being the pick. Green Bay selected Pryor with the next selection.
By the time we reached the 5th round I still haven’t been able to select a safety. I simply could not find the right value with any of my three previous picks. Green Bay was in the exact same situation, only with an offensive guard being their issue, so I was able to make a trade with them where I got Calvin Pryor and they got David Yankey. In theory, I could have asked for one or two additional picks since I was technically moving down a spot in the first round, but we didn’t even discuss it since both of us realized we should have picked to other player in the first round and thus were very satisfied with the trade.
Calvin Pryor reminds me of Eric Reid coming out of LSU. He is fast, physical and very good in run support but he can also cover the deep zones as a ballhawk. I don’t know if he can cover tight ends but he is big enough and has good enough cover skills to at least be better than Bell at it, and eventually Pryor might develop the skill if he doesn’t already possess them. I think he can start as a rookie and make a rather big different in the secondary.
2. Marcus Smith, outside linebacker, Louisville
To me, this was the easiest pick of them all. I would have been happy with a fast rush linebacker so I didn’t think about making a trade up to secure Smith, but neither did I hesitate for one second when he was available at this spot. I think he is nearly the ideal 3-4 outside linebacker, and that he could be a huge asset to this defense. He is at his best when he rushes from the outside with great speed, ability to both turn the corner and rushing between the tackle and guard, an above average bull rush, good use of his hands and proper technique in almost every aspect. However, he’s also able to rush from the middle and he is very good at dropping into coverage. I have seen him lined up at outside linebacker, inside linebacker, defensive end, defensive tackle and even as nickelback this previous season, and though he wasn’t equally good at every positions it does show his versatility and in how many ways Todd Bowles can utilize him. He never has to come off the field as he can play outside linebacker in base defense and move to either a more traditional rush defensive end or strongside linebacker in nickel defense.
I highly doubt that any team has Smith ranked below the 2nd round, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if some has him rated as at least a fringe 1st rounder. As well as Calvin Pryor, I think Smith can contribute right away, and in time be a very good starter.
3. James Hurst, offensive tackle, North Carolina
This was the only time where I felt a bit pressured into selecting a certain position. I really think the team need to address offensive tackle quickly in the draft, even if they bring some free agent in. We have far too often witness what it means to lack depth at this position.
Luckily, I don’t even think I had to reach with this pick. Hurst has been a bookend tackle for years at North Carolina. He has very good feet, good technique in pass protection and though rushers are sometimes able to beat him inside, he often is able to adjust to the opponent. He could improve as a run blocker where he doesn’t play with proper leverage and lunges at times, but he should be able to learn the right technique, and it seems he could easily bulk up a bit which would help him both against bull rushes and to get a better push in run blocking.
Hurst broke his leg in North Carolina’s bowl so he won’t work out before the draft. It’s not a very complicated injury, though, so he should be ready to go long before training camp, and he should be able to come back at full strength. Obviously, it doesn’t hurt either that he played side-by-side with Cooper for three years.
4. Brent Urban, defensive end, Virginia
This pick was between Urban, quarterback Brett Smith out of Wyoming and to trade up and select tight end Arthur Lynch out of Georgia. I think Smith is a way better project than Ryan Lindley, and I think Lynch is a very solid tight end in the mold of Jason Witten. In retrospect, I maybe should have traded up after Lynch, but I decided against Smith because I believe the Cardinals can make a lot of noise next season with the right upgrades so I choose the player that is more likely to make an impact right away.
Urban is built like a prototypical 3-4 defensive end with great height, long arms and a lot of strength in both the upper and lower body. Right now, he is clearly best as a run defender who can stack, shed and wrap up the ballcarrier. He might be ready to contribute on first and second down early in his NFL-career. He tends to use the same technique as a pass rusher, which leads to him not being very effective, and almost certainly an easy opponent to offensive linemen in the NFL. His upside is big though, and he could eventually replace Dockett in the starting line-up if he develop as expected.
5. Brandon Thomas, offensive guard, Clemson
As I made the trade with Green Bay, I suddenly lacked an upgrade to the interior offensive line. That didn’t force me into this pick but it did make me lean that way. I also considered Mason Walters, offensive guard out of Texas, Devin Street, wide receiver out of Pittsburgh and tight end Xavier Grimble out of USC. In the end, I decided that Thomas had the best value.
Thomas is sort of a poor man’s Zack Martin, offensive tackle, Notre Dame, as he has started many games at left tackle, but probably have to move to guard in the NFL because he lacks the proper height and arm length to stay at tackle. Unlike Martin, Clemson has switched Thomas back and forth between tackle and guard multiple times, and that experience makes him attractive to the Cardinals as he basically covers two spots on the roster – something Arians likes (probably as well as any other coach).
Thomas has the feet and athleticism to be an above average offensive guard at least. He is a strong pass protector, plays with good leverage, redirect quickly and has a very good punch to stonewall rushers. His run blocking could be better, but his issues might be fixed rather easy, as the main problem seems to be him stopping his feet and start lunging when he moves forward.
6. Walt Aikens, cornerback, Liberty
This was a pure potential-pick. The pick came down to Aikens, the two defensive ends Taylor Hart out of Oregon and Ben Gardner out of Stanford, rush linebacker Elhadji Ndiaye out of Nebraska-Hurney and cornerback Chris Davis out of Auburn. I really like both Hart and Gardner who plays with fine technique and big motors but in this scenario it came down to me already having selected Brent Urban. You will hear a great deal about Ndiaye up until the draft. He is this year’s version of Ziggy Ansah who was picked 7th overall last year. Obviously, Ndiaye played at a lot lower level than Ansah, but their background are almost identical, both are built like gladiators and runs very fast, and both have ton of potential going forward. I think I could easily defend a pick of Ndiaye but I choose the cornerback, since I picked Marcus Smith earlier and haven’t selected a cornerback yet. That meant it was between Aikens and Chris Davis. I like Davis but I went with the potential of Aikens instead. He enrolled at Illinois as a rather highly recruited defensive back but was kicked off the team after being charged with demeanor theft, which he later pleaded guilty to. He then went to Liberty and has dominated at cornerback for three seasons. He also played basketball and competed in high jump and long jump at a high level. He won several dunk contest while at Liberty.
He is extremely athletic, plays very physical and can easily run with receivers. He might be best in man coverage but I don’t think he will have big problems in zone coverage. His lack of quality opponents at Liberty of course makes him a big project but he surely has the upside to be a very good player in time.
At the end of the day I am satisfied with this draft. I think Calvin Pryor and Marcus Smith can become big contributors as rookies, and maybe even become starters during their first season. James Hurst could be a starter if they don’t bring in a free agent but if not, he will provide quality depth and could be a future bookend left tackle. Brent Urban and Brandon Thomas brings depth to both the defensive and offensive lines, and I think especially Urban could be an asset early on. Brandon Thomas could challenge both Fanaika, Watford, Christian Johnson and maybe Daryn Colledge, as well as being an adequate backup to Eric Winston, Bobbie Massie, Bradley Sowell or whoever is the right tackle. Walt Aikens has a lot of potential but is a project, and I simply don’t know if he can play special teams. Looking back, I probably should have used my 6th round pick and tried to move up in the 4th round to select tight end Arthur Lynch. It is a big need and to me, there is a significant drop-off in talent after the fourth or fifth best tight end. After Lynch I didn’t find any value in selecting a tight end, and that’s just not good enough. That said, I did manage to bring in more competition at the defensive line and cornerback so you could probably argue that it didn’t turn out that bad. Anyway, I believe I got good value with all my picks, and that alone is a success to me.
The play started nearly a month ago, but the only thing that has changed are my thought on some players, and I didn’t select any of them so it’s not really relevant, and to some extent what I think would be the best way to upgrade the Cardinals.
My thought process going into the mock draft was that
- I would like to select an offensive tackle, a rush linebacker, a safety, a tight end, a cornerback, a fast wide receiver as well as upgrading both the offensive and defensive lines as a whole.
- I would like to take a quarterback but I think the Cardinals has the best chance of winning with Palmer next season, so I would rather give him as much help as possible and thus I wasn’t going to draft a quarterback in the higher rounds.
- I wasn’t going to target any specific position in either rounds, since I don’t believe in that strategy, but obviously I was leaning to certain positions with each pick (for example, if I had an inside linebacker rated higher than a cornerback I would take the cornerback).
- Free agency did not factor in on my decisions at all.
I would have liked to trade back with this pick, given how the round developed, but was unable to get the value I wanted.
Initially, I drafted offensive guard, David Yankey, with this pick. I think he is such a good and athletic run blocker that would fit right in at right guard. I know Fanaika got an extension in-season, that they are probably high on Watford and I assume they signed Christian Johnson for a reason (and Colledge is somewhat of an mysterious situation), but I also thought that none of those things would equal the upgrade Yankey would give the team. Yankey played left tackle as a freshman so he has added value in that regard, as he can probably still play tackle in a pinch. When I made the pick I was in serious doubt if I should select Yankey or Pryor, as I rate them almost equally, but because Yankey was the best offensive lineman on my board, he ended up being the pick. Green Bay selected Pryor with the next selection.
By the time we reached the 5th round I still haven’t been able to select a safety. I simply could not find the right value with any of my three previous picks. Green Bay was in the exact same situation, only with an offensive guard being their issue, so I was able to make a trade with them where I got Calvin Pryor and they got David Yankey. In theory, I could have asked for one or two additional picks since I was technically moving down a spot in the first round, but we didn’t even discuss it since both of us realized we should have picked to other player in the first round and thus were very satisfied with the trade.
Calvin Pryor reminds me of Eric Reid coming out of LSU. He is fast, physical and very good in run support but he can also cover the deep zones as a ballhawk. I don’t know if he can cover tight ends but he is big enough and has good enough cover skills to at least be better than Bell at it, and eventually Pryor might develop the skill if he doesn’t already possess them. I think he can start as a rookie and make a rather big different in the secondary.
2. Marcus Smith, outside linebacker, Louisville
To me, this was the easiest pick of them all. I would have been happy with a fast rush linebacker so I didn’t think about making a trade up to secure Smith, but neither did I hesitate for one second when he was available at this spot. I think he is nearly the ideal 3-4 outside linebacker, and that he could be a huge asset to this defense. He is at his best when he rushes from the outside with great speed, ability to both turn the corner and rushing between the tackle and guard, an above average bull rush, good use of his hands and proper technique in almost every aspect. However, he’s also able to rush from the middle and he is very good at dropping into coverage. I have seen him lined up at outside linebacker, inside linebacker, defensive end, defensive tackle and even as nickelback this previous season, and though he wasn’t equally good at every positions it does show his versatility and in how many ways Todd Bowles can utilize him. He never has to come off the field as he can play outside linebacker in base defense and move to either a more traditional rush defensive end or strongside linebacker in nickel defense.
I highly doubt that any team has Smith ranked below the 2nd round, and it wouldn’t shock me at all if some has him rated as at least a fringe 1st rounder. As well as Calvin Pryor, I think Smith can contribute right away, and in time be a very good starter.
3. James Hurst, offensive tackle, North Carolina
This was the only time where I felt a bit pressured into selecting a certain position. I really think the team need to address offensive tackle quickly in the draft, even if they bring some free agent in. We have far too often witness what it means to lack depth at this position.
Luckily, I don’t even think I had to reach with this pick. Hurst has been a bookend tackle for years at North Carolina. He has very good feet, good technique in pass protection and though rushers are sometimes able to beat him inside, he often is able to adjust to the opponent. He could improve as a run blocker where he doesn’t play with proper leverage and lunges at times, but he should be able to learn the right technique, and it seems he could easily bulk up a bit which would help him both against bull rushes and to get a better push in run blocking.
Hurst broke his leg in North Carolina’s bowl so he won’t work out before the draft. It’s not a very complicated injury, though, so he should be ready to go long before training camp, and he should be able to come back at full strength. Obviously, it doesn’t hurt either that he played side-by-side with Cooper for three years.
4. Brent Urban, defensive end, Virginia
This pick was between Urban, quarterback Brett Smith out of Wyoming and to trade up and select tight end Arthur Lynch out of Georgia. I think Smith is a way better project than Ryan Lindley, and I think Lynch is a very solid tight end in the mold of Jason Witten. In retrospect, I maybe should have traded up after Lynch, but I decided against Smith because I believe the Cardinals can make a lot of noise next season with the right upgrades so I choose the player that is more likely to make an impact right away.
Urban is built like a prototypical 3-4 defensive end with great height, long arms and a lot of strength in both the upper and lower body. Right now, he is clearly best as a run defender who can stack, shed and wrap up the ballcarrier. He might be ready to contribute on first and second down early in his NFL-career. He tends to use the same technique as a pass rusher, which leads to him not being very effective, and almost certainly an easy opponent to offensive linemen in the NFL. His upside is big though, and he could eventually replace Dockett in the starting line-up if he develop as expected.
5. Brandon Thomas, offensive guard, Clemson
As I made the trade with Green Bay, I suddenly lacked an upgrade to the interior offensive line. That didn’t force me into this pick but it did make me lean that way. I also considered Mason Walters, offensive guard out of Texas, Devin Street, wide receiver out of Pittsburgh and tight end Xavier Grimble out of USC. In the end, I decided that Thomas had the best value.
Thomas is sort of a poor man’s Zack Martin, offensive tackle, Notre Dame, as he has started many games at left tackle, but probably have to move to guard in the NFL because he lacks the proper height and arm length to stay at tackle. Unlike Martin, Clemson has switched Thomas back and forth between tackle and guard multiple times, and that experience makes him attractive to the Cardinals as he basically covers two spots on the roster – something Arians likes (probably as well as any other coach).
Thomas has the feet and athleticism to be an above average offensive guard at least. He is a strong pass protector, plays with good leverage, redirect quickly and has a very good punch to stonewall rushers. His run blocking could be better, but his issues might be fixed rather easy, as the main problem seems to be him stopping his feet and start lunging when he moves forward.
6. Walt Aikens, cornerback, Liberty
This was a pure potential-pick. The pick came down to Aikens, the two defensive ends Taylor Hart out of Oregon and Ben Gardner out of Stanford, rush linebacker Elhadji Ndiaye out of Nebraska-Hurney and cornerback Chris Davis out of Auburn. I really like both Hart and Gardner who plays with fine technique and big motors but in this scenario it came down to me already having selected Brent Urban. You will hear a great deal about Ndiaye up until the draft. He is this year’s version of Ziggy Ansah who was picked 7th overall last year. Obviously, Ndiaye played at a lot lower level than Ansah, but their background are almost identical, both are built like gladiators and runs very fast, and both have ton of potential going forward. I think I could easily defend a pick of Ndiaye but I choose the cornerback, since I picked Marcus Smith earlier and haven’t selected a cornerback yet. That meant it was between Aikens and Chris Davis. I like Davis but I went with the potential of Aikens instead. He enrolled at Illinois as a rather highly recruited defensive back but was kicked off the team after being charged with demeanor theft, which he later pleaded guilty to. He then went to Liberty and has dominated at cornerback for three seasons. He also played basketball and competed in high jump and long jump at a high level. He won several dunk contest while at Liberty.
He is extremely athletic, plays very physical and can easily run with receivers. He might be best in man coverage but I don’t think he will have big problems in zone coverage. His lack of quality opponents at Liberty of course makes him a big project but he surely has the upside to be a very good player in time.
At the end of the day I am satisfied with this draft. I think Calvin Pryor and Marcus Smith can become big contributors as rookies, and maybe even become starters during their first season. James Hurst could be a starter if they don’t bring in a free agent but if not, he will provide quality depth and could be a future bookend left tackle. Brent Urban and Brandon Thomas brings depth to both the defensive and offensive lines, and I think especially Urban could be an asset early on. Brandon Thomas could challenge both Fanaika, Watford, Christian Johnson and maybe Daryn Colledge, as well as being an adequate backup to Eric Winston, Bobbie Massie, Bradley Sowell or whoever is the right tackle. Walt Aikens has a lot of potential but is a project, and I simply don’t know if he can play special teams. Looking back, I probably should have used my 6th round pick and tried to move up in the 4th round to select tight end Arthur Lynch. It is a big need and to me, there is a significant drop-off in talent after the fourth or fifth best tight end. After Lynch I didn’t find any value in selecting a tight end, and that’s just not good enough. That said, I did manage to bring in more competition at the defensive line and cornerback so you could probably argue that it didn’t turn out that bad. Anyway, I believe I got good value with all my picks, and that alone is a success to me.
Last edited:
