As is the tradition, I am participating in a mock draft with 31 other people. It starts on Sunday the 22nd. (https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/americanfootball/gm-mock-2026-drafttr-den-t2489.html)
I have changed my mindset since just some weeks ago. I planned to target players with higher floor than others, but maybe also a little less upside, because those are often the players that will make the biggest impact in year one.
However, I think that what they have done in the offseason is not nearly enough to compete in 2026. I am sure that they are trying to win (I don’t believe in the tanking-nonsense), but the roster construction seems to be with a “let’s hope for the best”-approach, and I don’t think they will be successful. For that reason, I decided to look after players with a lot of untapped potential, but also with a little bigger boom-or-bust aspect to them, because they will have this season to improve until they need to become stars in 2027. Very simplistic, you could say that my approach changed from chasing prospects with the highest floor to chasing prospects with the highest ceiling. I expect to take this approach for at least the first two days.
An example: Akheem Mesidor, Keionte Scott and Emmanuel Pregnon are wonderful players, and are presumably great fits, but they are also older prospects and might not have as much upside as other prospects.
I don’t like to draft outliers (Ty Simpson is the exception, as is often the case with quarterbacks).
Example: players like Reuben Bain, Cashius Howell and Spencer Fano probably have the most entertaining and impressive tape all season, but I will not draft them.
You have to play the draft game to an extent, so there are some general rankings sprinkled in.
Exampe: David Bailey are not the third best options for the Cards, but if you want him, you are not getting him later than 2-3-4 of the better options, so it doesn’t make sense to rank him after them.
I am heavily favoring offensive tackles and defensive line.
Since we don’t know what systems LaFleur and Rallis will run, I will draft after my best guess in that regard.
My preference in round one is to sell the pick, so even though I actually only need two players on my Cards board for the first pick, I will post all the top ten. This is because I don’t really have an idea of how far I want to move back, so everything is on the table.
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1 – Monroe Freeling, offensive tackle, Georgia.
Clearly the most upside of any OT in this class. He has experience playing on both sides, so he would fit at right tackle. He also projects to be a great fit in LaFleur’s offensive scheme (assuming LaFleur will also run a lot of outside zone stuff like McVay and Shanahan). Freeling reminds me of a more talented version of D.J. Humphries.
2 – Arvell Reese, edge rusher, Ohio State.
He reminds me a lot of Jalon Walker from last year, and Walker would have been a great fit in Gannon’s scheme with all the simulated pressure packages, and I am just going with the assumption that Rallis’ will look somewhat alike. I do understand that many fans have reservations with a hybrid player who can be deployed at different positions, but in Reese’s case, he does have very well-defined roles in both base- and nickel defense. He would be a tremendous scheme fit. I am actually very tempted to put Reese above Freeling, but the position, need and willingness to help LaFleur with the offense gives Freeling the nod.
3 – David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech.
I am not sure I see a very high upside in Bailey, and I wonder if it is kind of what you see is what you get. That might in fact be good enough but is it worth a top three pick? I am not sure.
His development to this point might indicate that there is more to come, though. He was already a stud at Stanford, so it was no surprise that he also dominated at Texas Tech. However, one thing was his promise before the season, but he also needed to actually show it, and he clearly did. I am not saying that he would be a bad pick, but I think he does need to adjust some basic things in his playing style to be a success in the NFL. And if he can make that transition, right there is the upside.
4 – Blake Miller, offensive tackle, Clemson.
Easily the best RT-fit outside of Freeling. Somehow he is still only 22, even though he has the record for consecutive starts for Clemson (in a non-specialist role), and he has gotten better each year. I don’t see why that would stop, so he likely has a lot of developmental potential.
5 – Caleb Banks, defensive tackle, Florida.
Banks are oozing with potential. I mean, that guy can be an absolute monster, and the idea of him and Nolen together is very attractive. Sure, because of injuries, his snaps have been limited in college, but the ones he did play were most often amazing, and he was great at the Senior Bowl. I am not thrilled with selecting yet another DT in the first round, but it is tantalizing to imagine him in the middle of their 5-man Penny front, and getting better is never a bad thing. He is only ranked behind Miller because he broke his foot the night before the Scouting Combine (yet still ran the 40-yard dash) and is not expected to be ready until June.
6 – T.J. Parker, edge rusher, Clemson.
Some years ago, in the corresponding game that year, I noted how I chose between Marvin Harrison, Rome Odunze, and Jared Verse at #4. My explanation for Verse was how I thought his playing style would translate to the NFL, and I see many of the same traits in Parker’s play. Just watch his speed-to-power move, for example. Wow! I am not sure about how much better he can become in future years, but he clearly showed improvement at the Senior Bowl, and he is only 21, so I guess the potential is there. He would fit well opposite Josh Sweat in their 4-2-5 base defense.
7 – Ty Simpson, quarterback, Alabama.
If you go back to October or September, I mentioned that I was high on Simpson, and it didn’t change much that he played worse later in the season. No, you cannot teach experience, and I am also worried about his lack of that. The fear is real and absolutely justified. But you need to understand that Alabama’s o-line play and their runningbacks were awful, while none of their receivers caught much of anything, plus Simpson played hurt for the last half of the season. There has never been a quarterback in any draft that would play at a high level under those circumstances, so it doesn’t say much about Simpson’s abilities. You could even argue that there is a lot of untapped potential with Simpson.
8 - Max Iheanachor, offensive tackle, Arizona State.
Massive upside. Probably the most out of the OT’s other than Freeling, and an expected wonderful scheme fit.
9 – Anthony Hill, linebacker, Texas.
Dare I say that Hill is not that different from Arvell Reese? He might be slightly smaller, but their playing skills are somewhat similar. Cardinals just hired Hill’s DC throughout Hill’s time at Texas, so he can obviously tell Ossenfort a thing or two. Projects to be a great scheme fit.
10 – Francis Mauigoa, offensive lineman, Miami.
I am very much in doubt as to whether Mauigoa can stay at OT in the NFL, and at least he would be a less obvious scheme fit, which is why I don’t have him higher on this list. Isaiah Adams is going to play this season, Seumalo was hardly brought in to be a backup, and two depth signings also tell a story. Mauigoa is good, though, and I am not completely sure that he cannot stay at RT.
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Like last year, I will write about each pick in separate posts as well as also put it all together in this original post.
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First round
In the game we are only allowed to use picks from this year to trade, so it would have cost a potential buyer most of their entire draft to buy my pick. Not surprisingly, nobody wanted to do that.
With the #3 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Monroe Freeling, offensive tackle, Georgia
So, also not surprisingly, I chose the top ranked player. My biggest worry with Freeling is that he has played on the left for all his games at Georgia, while players like Blake Miller and Iheanachor are naturally right sided. However, Freeling is the most talented, with the biggest developmental potential, and the only OT who meets the value of the #3 overall pick.
No matter if it is Brissett, or if I draft a QB later, he must be better protected than last season. It was embarrassing to see Jonah Williams – or anyone else playing RT – get beaten over and over and over again. It’s fine that they have brought in multiple offensive linemen, but none of them are even close to the talent Freeling is.
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Second round
When my selection came up at #61, I was a little worried that there would be nobody that I considered a very good value pick – especially when three targets went in the three selections before that (EDGE Keyron Crawford, OT Caleb Tiernan, DT Lee Hunter).
However, I didn’t want to sell the pick again. I don’t think the Cardinals need more depth from the bottom half of the roster. They need top players.
I considered:
Jadarian Price, runningback, Notre Dame
I like Price, and I think he would be a good complement to Allgeier and whatever is left of Connor. I don’t really consider Benson a big part of the plans. Afterall, though, you often draft for needs, and there are bigger holes in the roster than runningback.
Keith Abney, defensive back, Arizona State
Several of you are probably familiar with Abney. I obviously hope that Williams comes back at full strength, but I don’t know what to think after yet another horrible long-time injury. I think he would be a great scheme fit as a nickelback. Maybe some of you know if Abney could potentially be used on the outside too?
With the 61. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Jaishawn Barham, edge rusher, Michigan
Staying true to my strategy, Barham is uber-talented, and still has a lot of untapped potential, because he is relatively new to the position. Just last season he was an outside linebacker. He is very explosive, agile, built like an edge rusher (although slightly underweight), and surprisingly strong as an edge-setter.
Those qualities make him a great fit in Rallis’ scheme, because he can be deployed on all four downs in different ways – both on the line of scrimmage and as a linebacker – which makes him ideal for all their simulated pressure in multiple different schemes and fronts, as well as in their many zone coverages.
I actually think they have a better roster than most do, and I highly blame the previous coaching staff for not being able to develop the players properly. The current coaching staff is the most promising since B.A.’s, and maybe even before that as well, and I have a lot more confidence that they can develop the squad than I had with the previous. Players like B.J. Ojulari, Jordan Burch, and even Browning, for that matter, must have more talent than what they have shown, and I pray that Pete Kwiatkowski and Teryl Austin can help get it out of them.
Having said that, you can never have enough pass rushers, and Barham is too talented to pass up late in the second round.
By the way, it might be a bit far-fetched but remember that Mike LaFleur and Ossenfort brought in Wink Martindale as a DC candidate. Well, maybe they had seen something they liked from his Michigan defenses – where Barham was a star.
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Third round
With the 64. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Carson Beck, quarterback, Miami
Well, why did I not select Abney or Price, now that I considered them at #61, and they were still available? Because I made this selection a while ago in my mind. And while it is stupid to not take my QB at the first possible chance (so #61), it was just a mental thing that I wanted Beck in the third round. I know it is silly, and I would not at all be surprised if he is not available this late, but I just find it hard to select him as high as the second round. Again, it was just a silly mental thing.
Anyway, If we believe that LaFleur will take a lot from McVay’s and Shanahan’s offenses, Beck could be a great scheme fit. Some of the stables of those offenses are play-action, throwing a lot of intermediate distance passes, getting the ball out quickly and playing within structure and in rhythm. Well, last season, Beck had the fastest release among all 67 qualifying P4 quarterbacks, had a nearly 80% completion percentage on play-action passes and were clearly most comfortable making intermediate distance throws. And you can easily see that he is at his best when he plays in rhythm as a game manager. Stylistically, outside of Ty Simpson, Beck is the best QB fit for LaFleur’s expected offense (and that includes Mendoza).
Furthermore, I have seen multiple respectable analysts compare Carson Beck to Matt Schaub. Well, who would be his QB coach with the Cards?
And I get it – we all want to punch Beck. He is arrogant, smug and looks like he could not care any less about anything else than himself. He hangs his teammates out to dry in the media and has body language like everything is against him. However, they loved him in Miami. I don’t know why, but they did. The Cardinals just hired Miami’s runningback coach last season, so they have very close insider knowledge about who Beck is and how to treat him. And if you gave me the option of assembling the perfect quarterback room (and I could choose among any active quarterback in the world) for Carson Beck to come into, it would be him with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew.
I mentioned it in the write-up about my last pick. I don’t think the Cardinals are that far away. Sure, four or five division losses seem realistic, but against most other teams I do think they have a chance. And putting the missing quarterback into an offense with two bookend OT’s, three promising pass catchers, and potentially a powerful running game, that’s doesn’t seem like a sadistic plan.
I highly doubt that Beck is a long-term solution. I actually think that the upside with him is zero. He either plays to the same level as last season, or it gets worse. But what’s the alternative if they don’t get Simpson? And even then, Simpson will almost undoubtedly take some time to acclimate to the NFL, whereas Beck could likely step in and execute the offense the day after he was drafted. He is pro ready and he is a proven winner. He could probably get them through next season at around 0.500 or so (I know that is not the actual number, but you get my point), and then they can re-evaluate the QB position again next offseason or the year after. I simply don’t see better options in this situation - if you want to win something this season, that is.
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Still third round
This was the most difficult selection so far, because I had several players ranked almost identical, and they would all be good value pick at this spot. I tried to sell the pick, but I had no buyers, so I had to make a decision. Likely I will get another one of them when I pick again in about 10 spots.
The options were:
Daylen Everette, cornerback, Georgia
He has all the talent in the world but hasn’t been able to put it all together for longer stretches. However, being a three-year starter for Kirby Smart is a big achievement.
Kaleb Proctor, defensive tackle, Southeastern Louisiana
He is an unusual DT in that he weighs a lot less than the typical one, and that shows a lot in a lack of anchor and power. However, he is a great pass rusher, and he would be a great fit in Rallis’ defense (again, if he runs the same as Gannon). As we saw last season, he prefers to only rush four, so it is essential that the defensive tackles can penetrate and pass rush. Proctor had a monster game against LSU last season and then was among the best players at the East-West Shrine bowl.
Emmett Johnson, runningback, Wisconsin
He is neither the biggest, fastest, nor most dynamic RB in this class, but he is the best fit for LaFleur’s system (other than Love. He is the best fit for any offense). I don’t know what to think about Connor and Benson, so RB could potentially be a need.
Brian Parker, offensive lineman, Duke
I have written “offensive lineman” because he has only played tackle (mostly right side) at Duke, but his future in the NFL is almost certainly inside at guard or center. He is close to a perfect fit for an outside zone scheme, as LaFleur is expected to install. It might be a little too easy of a comparison, but he reminds me a lot of his former teammate Graham Barton, who the Bucs selected in the first round some years ago.
Caden Curry, edge rusher, Ohio State
Curry easily has good enough tape to warrant a much higher selection than this, but then there are the measurables. When do you dare to draft someone with freakishly short arms? Curry’s arms are as long as Cashius Howell’s, and Howell is expected to go in the first round, so what is the problem? Well, first of all, I would not take Howell, and second, Howell is extremely dynamic. He wins with speed, whereas Curry wins with technique and by using his arms a lot. I think there is one NFL defensive lineman with under 76” arms who have become a success in the last many, many years. And then there is the option of moving Curry inside, since he has also been very effective that way, but I read somewhere that in the last 15 years or so, there are two DT’s with that arm length who have played more than 500 snaps. Curry’s wingspan is quite normal, though, so I cannot figure out when to take the chance.
In the end it came down to need. Emmett Johnson might be a need, but neither Parker, Proctor nor Curry is. Each of those three position groups could certainly be upgraded, but I do think there are acceptable pieces in place already. Another aspect was that there is a major drop-off at CB after this pick, whereas there are other capable options at those other positions, if I want to address them later.
With the 93rd pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Daylen Everette, cornerback, Georgia
I actually think it is fair to expect that the new coaching staff can get more out of Ossenfort’s many DB-picks than the previous could. It’s four draft pick that are not contributing anything (Melton, Elijah Jones, Kei’Trel Clark, Jaden Davis) on defense, and I don’t believe it is only because they are not good enough. Teryl Austin has had a ton of success with defensive backs, so hopefully he can help the rest of the staff develop the group to become contributors.
Having said that, do we believe that those players step up? I mean, hopefully, but certainly not all of them will. Starling Thomas is not exactly great, Murphy-Bunting should not be on the team, and Will Johnson disappeared toward the end of last season, so who knows if he will take two steps forward? And finally, it’s anyone’s guess when Garrett Williams will be back, and at what level.
Enter Everette. He has prototypical measurements, and at times have looked like the star he was projected to be when he enrolled at Georgia as a five-star recruit. He has big-time potential, but he is obviously only available at this point because he has not lived up to expectations. If Teryl Austin, Zac Etheridge and Nick Rallis can bring out the best in Everette, they have a surefire starting cornerback.
My hope is that I can sell my next pick, so that I can hopefully get a few of the players I mentioned.
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Fourth round
I did manage to sell the pick. The Lions contacted me and offered #118 and #181 for #104. As I mentioned, there were several very good options at #104, so I decided to play the draft game and trade back with the hope of getting a couple of those options. I felt good that at least two or three of them would still be available since they might be highly ranked on the Cards board, but that obviously doesn’t mean that they are high on any other teams’ board. For the same reason, I don’t consider it unrealistic at all that a couple of the players I am considering at #118 could still be available at #143 when I picked the first time in round five.
Anyway, I did lose a couple of the targets between #104 and #118 (OT Brian Parker, OT Austin Barber), but I still had several good targets:
Zxavian Harris, defensive tackle, Ole Miss
Sure, they have upgraded the defensive line through free agency, but last season scares me a lot. We are not that far away from watching Zacariah Carter and P.J. Mustipher getting very meaningful snaps. The case against Harris is that they usually draft smaller defensive linemen and sign the biggest guys in free agency.
Bishop Fitzgerald, safety, USC
This is probably “my guy” in the draft. I am very excited about him, and if I considered safety a need, I would have drafted Fitzgerald in the third round without hesitation. He sucked at the scouting combine - which I assume is the only reason he is still on the board – but he is so instinctive, good at diagnosing and quick that it doesn’t matter. He still plays super-fast. At some point, the value in picking him becomes too big, but is it know?
Kadyn Proctor, defensive tackle, Southeastern Louisiana
I am still considering him like at last pick. The problem is that he is super scheme-dependent, and his production has mainly been against lesser competition other than a few games and a very good East-West Shrine Bowl week. Very interesting fit, but they kind of have smaller, quicker DTs already.
Mason Reiger, edge rusher, Wisconsin
Another of my favorites. Fantastic East-West Shrine week and have had a great season with Wisconsin. The first problem is that he has not produced before this past season, and the bigger problem is that he had multiple knee surgeries (six!) that wiped out his entire 2024 season. His tape is easily good enough to be drafted higher than this, but obviously the worry is real.
Deontae Lawson, middle linebacker, Alabama
A little bit the same as with Fitzgerald. Lawson is a great player, but MLB is even less of a need than safety.
I did actually consider seeking another trade down, but I also need to draft some players, obviously, and I did not want to lose all of these. Again, as I mentioned, I do think that some of them could be available for a while, but they are all in the top 40 in the rankings, so it would be sad to miss out on all of them.
With the #118. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Zxavian Harris, defensive tackle, Ole Miss
It’s kind of ironic that Harris lost his starting spot last year to Walter Nolen, when Nolen came over from Texas A&M.
Harris is a seriously big dude (6’8, 330) that cannot be moved against his will, and for that reason is a big asset against any running game. However, he is also surprisingly agile and move his feet fast – two things that are requirements in Rallis’ scheme (and in both Teryl Austin’s and Pete Kwiatkowski’s philosophies too, by the way), and potentially also allow him to stay on the field for all three downs. He has massive upside, even though he needs to be coached up technique-wise before making much of a contribution. Last year I drafted Deone Walker in the fourth round, so this is pretty much an exact copy of that choice.
Usually, Ossenfort drafts the smaller defensive linemen and sign the bigger guys in free agency, but we have seen what those signings have led to. I doubt that Roy Lopez and Andrew Billings will suddenly turn into All-Pro’s, and right now Calais Campbell is not on the roster, so I don’t see why they would not use a draft pick at the position. Last season showed with absolute clarity how important depth is.
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Fifth round
At #143, Fitzgerald and Reiger were left of the ones I mentioned at the previous pick, and that made the selection easy since I am still in need-mode.
With the #143 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Mason Reiger, edge rusher, Wisconsin
Reiger had three years at Louisville where he gradually became better and better, though not to any elite-level. Then came the injury that I noted, so the risk is very obvious. But he was very good this past season, and probably the best defender at the East-West Shrine Bowl, so I think it is okay to take a chance on him in the fifth round.
He actually has a lot of characteristics of a great edge rusher with explosiveness, being dynamic, bendy, electric first step, but then there are the shortcomings with not being powerful enough and missing way too many tackles. Those last two things raise serious questions about his fit in a Rallis defense, but again, this is the fifth round, so you are not going to find a perfect fit anyway. Also, it is nice in all systems to have different types of players, and none of the edge rushers on the roster is like Reiger. There is a spot for him, and with time and patience to get bigger and stronger, he has the potential to contribute a lot.
Like I wrote in the explanation for picking Harris, the pieces on the defensive line – both edge and inside – are actually there. For whatever reason it just hasn’t developed as expected, but it could become better pretty fast. But last season scares me, so I think it is important to keep adding talent and simply hope for the best. Throwing darts.
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Still fifth round
As #181 approached, I got more and more worried since now was the time where value trumped need, so I would finally get my favorite, Bishop Fitzgerald. Last year, Denzel Burke was “my guy” leading up to the draft, and fortunately the Cards chose him. This year it is Fitzgerald that I would fight for, if I were in the war room.
I had other targets, but only because I pick again at #183. I did not consider selling any of the two picks, and I will get into them at the write-up for that next pick.
With pick #181 the Arizona Cardinals select
Bishop Fitzgerald, safety, USC
As I wrote earlier, Fitzgerald sucked at the scouting combine, and that is probably why he is still on the board. I would actually not be surprised if he were not even drafted, just as I would not be surprised if he was drafted on day two. He is so good at reading the game and react so quick that he still plays very fast, even though he does not run the fastest 40. He can cover, he can tackle, he can play in the box.
I am not sure where there is an obvious space for him. I would guess that Taylor-Demerson moves to Jalen Thompson’s role, and that Wingard takes over Taylor-Demerson’s. My sense is that they really like Kitan Crawford, and Joey Blunt is probably not going anywhere because of his special team-skills. Obviously, Garrett Williams is out for most of the season, so there is a spot at nickel cornerback, and even though Starling Thomas comes back from injury, he is more of an outside guy. And so is Deylon Everette. I guess that would be Fitzgerald’s role.
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Sixth round
As I mentioned, I knew what I would do at #181, but I did have other players in mind, and they obviously became relevant at #183. I didn’t want to sell the pick because Cards certainly need good players, so when I had the chance to select one of them, I did not want to risk it.
My targets were:
J.C. Davis, offensive tackle, Illinois
I am actually a bit surprised that I have not selected more offensive linemen throughout this draft, but the value has not been correct. It is now, and since Ossenfort obviously liked Isaiah Adams as a scheme fit, maybe he also thinks that of Davis. Not that the scheme will be the same as when he picked Adams, but Illinois’ coaching staff is the same, so Davis and Adams have at least been coached by the same people. Maybe Ossenfort appreciates what they are taught. Based on the tape, I was not that impressed with Davis at OT, but then he was impressive at OG at the Senior Bowl.
Micah Morris, offensive guard, Georgia
I doubt that Morris will be available in the fifth round in the real draft, but he is a first-year starter as a fifth-year senior, and he does have technical issues, so I guess you never know. I think there are also some questions about conditioning. However, based on testing, he might be the most athletic offensive lineman in the entire draft, and like it or not, Ossenfort cares a lot about RAS score. But he is not just an athlete. In all the playing time he has gotten the last three years (close to 800 snaps), he has given up zero sacks and 11 pressures, and at the Senior Bowl he showed that he can certainly play. His ceiling is starting OG, and this late in the draft I am fine with taking a chance on that. I could see him being this year’s version of Jon Gaines (an extreme athlete that needs a lot of training), and it surely doesn’t hurt that he has played on the same offensive line as Freeling.
Trey Moore, edge rusher, Texas
Obviously, I don’t need more edge rushers from this draft, but I cannot help myself. I am a “defense rocks!”- guy. However, I also considered Moore because I think he can become a stud special teamer, and in best case scenario develop into a defensive contributor. After all, he is one of Pete Kwiatkowski’s favorites from his time as DC at Texas.
That said, even I understand that I should not go edge rusher here.
Aaron Anderson, wide receiver, LSU
I like Anderson in LaFleur’s scheme. He is short but thick, so he is not small. He is a slot receiver only. He is a great route runner and good at finding space over the middle and getting yards after catch. Great at the Senior Bowl. He brings an element that they don’t currently have on the roster.
In the end, I went with fifth guy.
With the 184. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Riley Nowakowski, H-back, Indiana.
Did you see Nowakowski throughout Indiana’s run? I thought he did very well. Assuming that LaFleur will integrate a lot of both Shanahan’s system and McVay’s system, Nowakowski is a wonderful scheme fit, kind of in the mold of Kyle Juszczyk and Colby Parkinson (no, I am not saying that he is at the same level. Come on.) LaFleur might be the best thing that has ever happened to Tip Reiman, but do we still believe in him? I am highly skeptical.
At this point in the draft, I would not be surprised to see some of my targets still on the board at #207, just because the Cards board obviously not necessarily make sense to other teams. And no matter what, there are still several players ranked in the top 70 on the board, so I have no plans of selling the pick.
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Sixth round
At #207, only Trey Moore was left of my targets at #184, and I was still not thrilled with going after primarily a special teams-contributor (at least in the beginning). So, I went to the next couple of players on the board.
Eli Heidenreich, runningback, Navy
Nobody knows if he is a runningback or wide receiver, but at least everyone can agree that he is a great offensive weapon.
Tristan Leigh, offensive tackle, Clemson
Massive potential, but very up-and-down. Is he a better developmental project than Jon Gaines, Christian Jones, Hayden Connor and Josh Fryar?
Fernando Carmona, offensive guard, Arkansas
Call me crazy, but I actually think that Carmona could start as a rookie, but I just also think that his developmental potential is limited. Seumalo is obviously going to start, and I think that Adams will at least get the chance to prove that he belongs. And then we are back to question if Carmona is a better project than especially Gaines and Connor?
With the #207 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Eli Heidenreich, runningback, Navy
For most teams it will likely be an issue to project where Heidenreich will fit into their schemes, because the position he has played in Navy’s Mickey Mouse-offense doesn’t really exist in any NFL offense. Fortunately, that is not much of a problem in LaFleur’s scheme, as long as he integrates some of the most important elements from Shanahan and McVay.
I went to look for some video and information about Heidenreich, after I had fallen for him at the East-West Shrine Bowl, and what I found was that I am pretty confident that what has made him a star on the Navy team can translate to the NFL. His powerful runningstyle, great balance and receiving skills can make him a very useful role player in an offense that value misdirection and disguising playcalls. I see him as a third-down back because of his abilities in both the run- and pass game.
I pick again in ten spots, so I hope to get one of my other targets. However, I said the same thing after #184, so let’s see if they also get selected before I have the chance.
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Seventh round
So, all three options at #207 were still available, and I think this pick was one of the most difficult in this draft.
Trey Moore was not a true candidate, only because I think there are two better options. I have never understood the “well, late round picks never work out, so it doesn’t matter what you do.” Losers think that way, because if you don’t try to find contributors, you are not going to win. All good teams have late round contributors. Anyway, all that to say that I would see Moore as a special teams pick (which would be fine. Just not in this scenario).
That left me with Carmona and Leigh. Carmona has actually played left tackle for three years, but he was moved to guard before last season and flourished in there. Leigh is a longtime starter at left tackle for Clemson, and though he has also played both guard-positions, he does have a chance to stay at tackle in the NFL.
With the #207 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Tristan Leigh, offensive tackle, Clemson
I truly believe that Carmona has the level to start early, but where? Seumalo and Adams are pretty entrenched, I think, and I would guess they would want to give Hayden Connor a chance. And Ossenfort and Justin Frye seemingly likes Jon Gaines a lot.
Plus, OT is obviously worth more than OG, and Leigh certainly has the potential to develop into a very good tackle. It is no coincidence that he was very highly recruited nationally (hard by Justin Frye at Ohio State, by the way), as he is highly athletic, strong and powerful. He is just very unstable in performances and bad technical, so there is a bigger learning curve before he can step in at all spots except for center.
It was a big surprise that he didn’t get invited to neither the Senior Bowl nor scouting combine, but he did go to the East-West Shrine Bowl and – in my opinion – looked more solid on a per-rep basis than at Clemson.
I have changed my mindset since just some weeks ago. I planned to target players with higher floor than others, but maybe also a little less upside, because those are often the players that will make the biggest impact in year one.
However, I think that what they have done in the offseason is not nearly enough to compete in 2026. I am sure that they are trying to win (I don’t believe in the tanking-nonsense), but the roster construction seems to be with a “let’s hope for the best”-approach, and I don’t think they will be successful. For that reason, I decided to look after players with a lot of untapped potential, but also with a little bigger boom-or-bust aspect to them, because they will have this season to improve until they need to become stars in 2027. Very simplistic, you could say that my approach changed from chasing prospects with the highest floor to chasing prospects with the highest ceiling. I expect to take this approach for at least the first two days.
An example: Akheem Mesidor, Keionte Scott and Emmanuel Pregnon are wonderful players, and are presumably great fits, but they are also older prospects and might not have as much upside as other prospects.
I don’t like to draft outliers (Ty Simpson is the exception, as is often the case with quarterbacks).
Example: players like Reuben Bain, Cashius Howell and Spencer Fano probably have the most entertaining and impressive tape all season, but I will not draft them.
You have to play the draft game to an extent, so there are some general rankings sprinkled in.
Exampe: David Bailey are not the third best options for the Cards, but if you want him, you are not getting him later than 2-3-4 of the better options, so it doesn’t make sense to rank him after them.
I am heavily favoring offensive tackles and defensive line.
Since we don’t know what systems LaFleur and Rallis will run, I will draft after my best guess in that regard.
My preference in round one is to sell the pick, so even though I actually only need two players on my Cards board for the first pick, I will post all the top ten. This is because I don’t really have an idea of how far I want to move back, so everything is on the table.
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1 – Monroe Freeling, offensive tackle, Georgia.
Clearly the most upside of any OT in this class. He has experience playing on both sides, so he would fit at right tackle. He also projects to be a great fit in LaFleur’s offensive scheme (assuming LaFleur will also run a lot of outside zone stuff like McVay and Shanahan). Freeling reminds me of a more talented version of D.J. Humphries.
2 – Arvell Reese, edge rusher, Ohio State.
He reminds me a lot of Jalon Walker from last year, and Walker would have been a great fit in Gannon’s scheme with all the simulated pressure packages, and I am just going with the assumption that Rallis’ will look somewhat alike. I do understand that many fans have reservations with a hybrid player who can be deployed at different positions, but in Reese’s case, he does have very well-defined roles in both base- and nickel defense. He would be a tremendous scheme fit. I am actually very tempted to put Reese above Freeling, but the position, need and willingness to help LaFleur with the offense gives Freeling the nod.
3 – David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech.
I am not sure I see a very high upside in Bailey, and I wonder if it is kind of what you see is what you get. That might in fact be good enough but is it worth a top three pick? I am not sure.
His development to this point might indicate that there is more to come, though. He was already a stud at Stanford, so it was no surprise that he also dominated at Texas Tech. However, one thing was his promise before the season, but he also needed to actually show it, and he clearly did. I am not saying that he would be a bad pick, but I think he does need to adjust some basic things in his playing style to be a success in the NFL. And if he can make that transition, right there is the upside.
4 – Blake Miller, offensive tackle, Clemson.
Easily the best RT-fit outside of Freeling. Somehow he is still only 22, even though he has the record for consecutive starts for Clemson (in a non-specialist role), and he has gotten better each year. I don’t see why that would stop, so he likely has a lot of developmental potential.
5 – Caleb Banks, defensive tackle, Florida.
Banks are oozing with potential. I mean, that guy can be an absolute monster, and the idea of him and Nolen together is very attractive. Sure, because of injuries, his snaps have been limited in college, but the ones he did play were most often amazing, and he was great at the Senior Bowl. I am not thrilled with selecting yet another DT in the first round, but it is tantalizing to imagine him in the middle of their 5-man Penny front, and getting better is never a bad thing. He is only ranked behind Miller because he broke his foot the night before the Scouting Combine (yet still ran the 40-yard dash) and is not expected to be ready until June.
6 – T.J. Parker, edge rusher, Clemson.
Some years ago, in the corresponding game that year, I noted how I chose between Marvin Harrison, Rome Odunze, and Jared Verse at #4. My explanation for Verse was how I thought his playing style would translate to the NFL, and I see many of the same traits in Parker’s play. Just watch his speed-to-power move, for example. Wow! I am not sure about how much better he can become in future years, but he clearly showed improvement at the Senior Bowl, and he is only 21, so I guess the potential is there. He would fit well opposite Josh Sweat in their 4-2-5 base defense.
7 – Ty Simpson, quarterback, Alabama.
If you go back to October or September, I mentioned that I was high on Simpson, and it didn’t change much that he played worse later in the season. No, you cannot teach experience, and I am also worried about his lack of that. The fear is real and absolutely justified. But you need to understand that Alabama’s o-line play and their runningbacks were awful, while none of their receivers caught much of anything, plus Simpson played hurt for the last half of the season. There has never been a quarterback in any draft that would play at a high level under those circumstances, so it doesn’t say much about Simpson’s abilities. You could even argue that there is a lot of untapped potential with Simpson.
8 - Max Iheanachor, offensive tackle, Arizona State.
Massive upside. Probably the most out of the OT’s other than Freeling, and an expected wonderful scheme fit.
9 – Anthony Hill, linebacker, Texas.
Dare I say that Hill is not that different from Arvell Reese? He might be slightly smaller, but their playing skills are somewhat similar. Cardinals just hired Hill’s DC throughout Hill’s time at Texas, so he can obviously tell Ossenfort a thing or two. Projects to be a great scheme fit.
10 – Francis Mauigoa, offensive lineman, Miami.
I am very much in doubt as to whether Mauigoa can stay at OT in the NFL, and at least he would be a less obvious scheme fit, which is why I don’t have him higher on this list. Isaiah Adams is going to play this season, Seumalo was hardly brought in to be a backup, and two depth signings also tell a story. Mauigoa is good, though, and I am not completely sure that he cannot stay at RT.
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Like last year, I will write about each pick in separate posts as well as also put it all together in this original post.
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First round
In the game we are only allowed to use picks from this year to trade, so it would have cost a potential buyer most of their entire draft to buy my pick. Not surprisingly, nobody wanted to do that.
With the #3 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Monroe Freeling, offensive tackle, Georgia
So, also not surprisingly, I chose the top ranked player. My biggest worry with Freeling is that he has played on the left for all his games at Georgia, while players like Blake Miller and Iheanachor are naturally right sided. However, Freeling is the most talented, with the biggest developmental potential, and the only OT who meets the value of the #3 overall pick.
No matter if it is Brissett, or if I draft a QB later, he must be better protected than last season. It was embarrassing to see Jonah Williams – or anyone else playing RT – get beaten over and over and over again. It’s fine that they have brought in multiple offensive linemen, but none of them are even close to the talent Freeling is.
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Second round
When my selection came up at #61, I was a little worried that there would be nobody that I considered a very good value pick – especially when three targets went in the three selections before that (EDGE Keyron Crawford, OT Caleb Tiernan, DT Lee Hunter).
However, I didn’t want to sell the pick again. I don’t think the Cardinals need more depth from the bottom half of the roster. They need top players.
I considered:
Jadarian Price, runningback, Notre Dame
I like Price, and I think he would be a good complement to Allgeier and whatever is left of Connor. I don’t really consider Benson a big part of the plans. Afterall, though, you often draft for needs, and there are bigger holes in the roster than runningback.
Keith Abney, defensive back, Arizona State
Several of you are probably familiar with Abney. I obviously hope that Williams comes back at full strength, but I don’t know what to think after yet another horrible long-time injury. I think he would be a great scheme fit as a nickelback. Maybe some of you know if Abney could potentially be used on the outside too?
With the 61. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Jaishawn Barham, edge rusher, Michigan
Staying true to my strategy, Barham is uber-talented, and still has a lot of untapped potential, because he is relatively new to the position. Just last season he was an outside linebacker. He is very explosive, agile, built like an edge rusher (although slightly underweight), and surprisingly strong as an edge-setter.
Those qualities make him a great fit in Rallis’ scheme, because he can be deployed on all four downs in different ways – both on the line of scrimmage and as a linebacker – which makes him ideal for all their simulated pressure in multiple different schemes and fronts, as well as in their many zone coverages.
I actually think they have a better roster than most do, and I highly blame the previous coaching staff for not being able to develop the players properly. The current coaching staff is the most promising since B.A.’s, and maybe even before that as well, and I have a lot more confidence that they can develop the squad than I had with the previous. Players like B.J. Ojulari, Jordan Burch, and even Browning, for that matter, must have more talent than what they have shown, and I pray that Pete Kwiatkowski and Teryl Austin can help get it out of them.
Having said that, you can never have enough pass rushers, and Barham is too talented to pass up late in the second round.
By the way, it might be a bit far-fetched but remember that Mike LaFleur and Ossenfort brought in Wink Martindale as a DC candidate. Well, maybe they had seen something they liked from his Michigan defenses – where Barham was a star.
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Third round
With the 64. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Carson Beck, quarterback, Miami
Well, why did I not select Abney or Price, now that I considered them at #61, and they were still available? Because I made this selection a while ago in my mind. And while it is stupid to not take my QB at the first possible chance (so #61), it was just a mental thing that I wanted Beck in the third round. I know it is silly, and I would not at all be surprised if he is not available this late, but I just find it hard to select him as high as the second round. Again, it was just a silly mental thing.
Anyway, If we believe that LaFleur will take a lot from McVay’s and Shanahan’s offenses, Beck could be a great scheme fit. Some of the stables of those offenses are play-action, throwing a lot of intermediate distance passes, getting the ball out quickly and playing within structure and in rhythm. Well, last season, Beck had the fastest release among all 67 qualifying P4 quarterbacks, had a nearly 80% completion percentage on play-action passes and were clearly most comfortable making intermediate distance throws. And you can easily see that he is at his best when he plays in rhythm as a game manager. Stylistically, outside of Ty Simpson, Beck is the best QB fit for LaFleur’s expected offense (and that includes Mendoza).
Furthermore, I have seen multiple respectable analysts compare Carson Beck to Matt Schaub. Well, who would be his QB coach with the Cards?
And I get it – we all want to punch Beck. He is arrogant, smug and looks like he could not care any less about anything else than himself. He hangs his teammates out to dry in the media and has body language like everything is against him. However, they loved him in Miami. I don’t know why, but they did. The Cardinals just hired Miami’s runningback coach last season, so they have very close insider knowledge about who Beck is and how to treat him. And if you gave me the option of assembling the perfect quarterback room (and I could choose among any active quarterback in the world) for Carson Beck to come into, it would be him with Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew.
I mentioned it in the write-up about my last pick. I don’t think the Cardinals are that far away. Sure, four or five division losses seem realistic, but against most other teams I do think they have a chance. And putting the missing quarterback into an offense with two bookend OT’s, three promising pass catchers, and potentially a powerful running game, that’s doesn’t seem like a sadistic plan.
I highly doubt that Beck is a long-term solution. I actually think that the upside with him is zero. He either plays to the same level as last season, or it gets worse. But what’s the alternative if they don’t get Simpson? And even then, Simpson will almost undoubtedly take some time to acclimate to the NFL, whereas Beck could likely step in and execute the offense the day after he was drafted. He is pro ready and he is a proven winner. He could probably get them through next season at around 0.500 or so (I know that is not the actual number, but you get my point), and then they can re-evaluate the QB position again next offseason or the year after. I simply don’t see better options in this situation - if you want to win something this season, that is.
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Still third round
This was the most difficult selection so far, because I had several players ranked almost identical, and they would all be good value pick at this spot. I tried to sell the pick, but I had no buyers, so I had to make a decision. Likely I will get another one of them when I pick again in about 10 spots.
The options were:
Daylen Everette, cornerback, Georgia
He has all the talent in the world but hasn’t been able to put it all together for longer stretches. However, being a three-year starter for Kirby Smart is a big achievement.
Kaleb Proctor, defensive tackle, Southeastern Louisiana
He is an unusual DT in that he weighs a lot less than the typical one, and that shows a lot in a lack of anchor and power. However, he is a great pass rusher, and he would be a great fit in Rallis’ defense (again, if he runs the same as Gannon). As we saw last season, he prefers to only rush four, so it is essential that the defensive tackles can penetrate and pass rush. Proctor had a monster game against LSU last season and then was among the best players at the East-West Shrine bowl.
Emmett Johnson, runningback, Wisconsin
He is neither the biggest, fastest, nor most dynamic RB in this class, but he is the best fit for LaFleur’s system (other than Love. He is the best fit for any offense). I don’t know what to think about Connor and Benson, so RB could potentially be a need.
Brian Parker, offensive lineman, Duke
I have written “offensive lineman” because he has only played tackle (mostly right side) at Duke, but his future in the NFL is almost certainly inside at guard or center. He is close to a perfect fit for an outside zone scheme, as LaFleur is expected to install. It might be a little too easy of a comparison, but he reminds me a lot of his former teammate Graham Barton, who the Bucs selected in the first round some years ago.
Caden Curry, edge rusher, Ohio State
Curry easily has good enough tape to warrant a much higher selection than this, but then there are the measurables. When do you dare to draft someone with freakishly short arms? Curry’s arms are as long as Cashius Howell’s, and Howell is expected to go in the first round, so what is the problem? Well, first of all, I would not take Howell, and second, Howell is extremely dynamic. He wins with speed, whereas Curry wins with technique and by using his arms a lot. I think there is one NFL defensive lineman with under 76” arms who have become a success in the last many, many years. And then there is the option of moving Curry inside, since he has also been very effective that way, but I read somewhere that in the last 15 years or so, there are two DT’s with that arm length who have played more than 500 snaps. Curry’s wingspan is quite normal, though, so I cannot figure out when to take the chance.
In the end it came down to need. Emmett Johnson might be a need, but neither Parker, Proctor nor Curry is. Each of those three position groups could certainly be upgraded, but I do think there are acceptable pieces in place already. Another aspect was that there is a major drop-off at CB after this pick, whereas there are other capable options at those other positions, if I want to address them later.
With the 93rd pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Daylen Everette, cornerback, Georgia
I actually think it is fair to expect that the new coaching staff can get more out of Ossenfort’s many DB-picks than the previous could. It’s four draft pick that are not contributing anything (Melton, Elijah Jones, Kei’Trel Clark, Jaden Davis) on defense, and I don’t believe it is only because they are not good enough. Teryl Austin has had a ton of success with defensive backs, so hopefully he can help the rest of the staff develop the group to become contributors.
Having said that, do we believe that those players step up? I mean, hopefully, but certainly not all of them will. Starling Thomas is not exactly great, Murphy-Bunting should not be on the team, and Will Johnson disappeared toward the end of last season, so who knows if he will take two steps forward? And finally, it’s anyone’s guess when Garrett Williams will be back, and at what level.
Enter Everette. He has prototypical measurements, and at times have looked like the star he was projected to be when he enrolled at Georgia as a five-star recruit. He has big-time potential, but he is obviously only available at this point because he has not lived up to expectations. If Teryl Austin, Zac Etheridge and Nick Rallis can bring out the best in Everette, they have a surefire starting cornerback.
My hope is that I can sell my next pick, so that I can hopefully get a few of the players I mentioned.
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Fourth round
I did manage to sell the pick. The Lions contacted me and offered #118 and #181 for #104. As I mentioned, there were several very good options at #104, so I decided to play the draft game and trade back with the hope of getting a couple of those options. I felt good that at least two or three of them would still be available since they might be highly ranked on the Cards board, but that obviously doesn’t mean that they are high on any other teams’ board. For the same reason, I don’t consider it unrealistic at all that a couple of the players I am considering at #118 could still be available at #143 when I picked the first time in round five.
Anyway, I did lose a couple of the targets between #104 and #118 (OT Brian Parker, OT Austin Barber), but I still had several good targets:
Zxavian Harris, defensive tackle, Ole Miss
Sure, they have upgraded the defensive line through free agency, but last season scares me a lot. We are not that far away from watching Zacariah Carter and P.J. Mustipher getting very meaningful snaps. The case against Harris is that they usually draft smaller defensive linemen and sign the biggest guys in free agency.
Bishop Fitzgerald, safety, USC
This is probably “my guy” in the draft. I am very excited about him, and if I considered safety a need, I would have drafted Fitzgerald in the third round without hesitation. He sucked at the scouting combine - which I assume is the only reason he is still on the board – but he is so instinctive, good at diagnosing and quick that it doesn’t matter. He still plays super-fast. At some point, the value in picking him becomes too big, but is it know?
Kadyn Proctor, defensive tackle, Southeastern Louisiana
I am still considering him like at last pick. The problem is that he is super scheme-dependent, and his production has mainly been against lesser competition other than a few games and a very good East-West Shrine Bowl week. Very interesting fit, but they kind of have smaller, quicker DTs already.
Mason Reiger, edge rusher, Wisconsin
Another of my favorites. Fantastic East-West Shrine week and have had a great season with Wisconsin. The first problem is that he has not produced before this past season, and the bigger problem is that he had multiple knee surgeries (six!) that wiped out his entire 2024 season. His tape is easily good enough to be drafted higher than this, but obviously the worry is real.
Deontae Lawson, middle linebacker, Alabama
A little bit the same as with Fitzgerald. Lawson is a great player, but MLB is even less of a need than safety.
I did actually consider seeking another trade down, but I also need to draft some players, obviously, and I did not want to lose all of these. Again, as I mentioned, I do think that some of them could be available for a while, but they are all in the top 40 in the rankings, so it would be sad to miss out on all of them.
With the #118. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Zxavian Harris, defensive tackle, Ole Miss
It’s kind of ironic that Harris lost his starting spot last year to Walter Nolen, when Nolen came over from Texas A&M.
Harris is a seriously big dude (6’8, 330) that cannot be moved against his will, and for that reason is a big asset against any running game. However, he is also surprisingly agile and move his feet fast – two things that are requirements in Rallis’ scheme (and in both Teryl Austin’s and Pete Kwiatkowski’s philosophies too, by the way), and potentially also allow him to stay on the field for all three downs. He has massive upside, even though he needs to be coached up technique-wise before making much of a contribution. Last year I drafted Deone Walker in the fourth round, so this is pretty much an exact copy of that choice.
Usually, Ossenfort drafts the smaller defensive linemen and sign the bigger guys in free agency, but we have seen what those signings have led to. I doubt that Roy Lopez and Andrew Billings will suddenly turn into All-Pro’s, and right now Calais Campbell is not on the roster, so I don’t see why they would not use a draft pick at the position. Last season showed with absolute clarity how important depth is.
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Fifth round
At #143, Fitzgerald and Reiger were left of the ones I mentioned at the previous pick, and that made the selection easy since I am still in need-mode.
With the #143 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Mason Reiger, edge rusher, Wisconsin
Reiger had three years at Louisville where he gradually became better and better, though not to any elite-level. Then came the injury that I noted, so the risk is very obvious. But he was very good this past season, and probably the best defender at the East-West Shrine Bowl, so I think it is okay to take a chance on him in the fifth round.
He actually has a lot of characteristics of a great edge rusher with explosiveness, being dynamic, bendy, electric first step, but then there are the shortcomings with not being powerful enough and missing way too many tackles. Those last two things raise serious questions about his fit in a Rallis defense, but again, this is the fifth round, so you are not going to find a perfect fit anyway. Also, it is nice in all systems to have different types of players, and none of the edge rushers on the roster is like Reiger. There is a spot for him, and with time and patience to get bigger and stronger, he has the potential to contribute a lot.
Like I wrote in the explanation for picking Harris, the pieces on the defensive line – both edge and inside – are actually there. For whatever reason it just hasn’t developed as expected, but it could become better pretty fast. But last season scares me, so I think it is important to keep adding talent and simply hope for the best. Throwing darts.
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Still fifth round
As #181 approached, I got more and more worried since now was the time where value trumped need, so I would finally get my favorite, Bishop Fitzgerald. Last year, Denzel Burke was “my guy” leading up to the draft, and fortunately the Cards chose him. This year it is Fitzgerald that I would fight for, if I were in the war room.
I had other targets, but only because I pick again at #183. I did not consider selling any of the two picks, and I will get into them at the write-up for that next pick.
With pick #181 the Arizona Cardinals select
Bishop Fitzgerald, safety, USC
As I wrote earlier, Fitzgerald sucked at the scouting combine, and that is probably why he is still on the board. I would actually not be surprised if he were not even drafted, just as I would not be surprised if he was drafted on day two. He is so good at reading the game and react so quick that he still plays very fast, even though he does not run the fastest 40. He can cover, he can tackle, he can play in the box.
I am not sure where there is an obvious space for him. I would guess that Taylor-Demerson moves to Jalen Thompson’s role, and that Wingard takes over Taylor-Demerson’s. My sense is that they really like Kitan Crawford, and Joey Blunt is probably not going anywhere because of his special team-skills. Obviously, Garrett Williams is out for most of the season, so there is a spot at nickel cornerback, and even though Starling Thomas comes back from injury, he is more of an outside guy. And so is Deylon Everette. I guess that would be Fitzgerald’s role.
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Sixth round
As I mentioned, I knew what I would do at #181, but I did have other players in mind, and they obviously became relevant at #183. I didn’t want to sell the pick because Cards certainly need good players, so when I had the chance to select one of them, I did not want to risk it.
My targets were:
J.C. Davis, offensive tackle, Illinois
I am actually a bit surprised that I have not selected more offensive linemen throughout this draft, but the value has not been correct. It is now, and since Ossenfort obviously liked Isaiah Adams as a scheme fit, maybe he also thinks that of Davis. Not that the scheme will be the same as when he picked Adams, but Illinois’ coaching staff is the same, so Davis and Adams have at least been coached by the same people. Maybe Ossenfort appreciates what they are taught. Based on the tape, I was not that impressed with Davis at OT, but then he was impressive at OG at the Senior Bowl.
Micah Morris, offensive guard, Georgia
I doubt that Morris will be available in the fifth round in the real draft, but he is a first-year starter as a fifth-year senior, and he does have technical issues, so I guess you never know. I think there are also some questions about conditioning. However, based on testing, he might be the most athletic offensive lineman in the entire draft, and like it or not, Ossenfort cares a lot about RAS score. But he is not just an athlete. In all the playing time he has gotten the last three years (close to 800 snaps), he has given up zero sacks and 11 pressures, and at the Senior Bowl he showed that he can certainly play. His ceiling is starting OG, and this late in the draft I am fine with taking a chance on that. I could see him being this year’s version of Jon Gaines (an extreme athlete that needs a lot of training), and it surely doesn’t hurt that he has played on the same offensive line as Freeling.
Trey Moore, edge rusher, Texas
Obviously, I don’t need more edge rushers from this draft, but I cannot help myself. I am a “defense rocks!”- guy. However, I also considered Moore because I think he can become a stud special teamer, and in best case scenario develop into a defensive contributor. After all, he is one of Pete Kwiatkowski’s favorites from his time as DC at Texas.
That said, even I understand that I should not go edge rusher here.
Aaron Anderson, wide receiver, LSU
I like Anderson in LaFleur’s scheme. He is short but thick, so he is not small. He is a slot receiver only. He is a great route runner and good at finding space over the middle and getting yards after catch. Great at the Senior Bowl. He brings an element that they don’t currently have on the roster.
In the end, I went with fifth guy.
With the 184. pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Riley Nowakowski, H-back, Indiana.
Did you see Nowakowski throughout Indiana’s run? I thought he did very well. Assuming that LaFleur will integrate a lot of both Shanahan’s system and McVay’s system, Nowakowski is a wonderful scheme fit, kind of in the mold of Kyle Juszczyk and Colby Parkinson (no, I am not saying that he is at the same level. Come on.) LaFleur might be the best thing that has ever happened to Tip Reiman, but do we still believe in him? I am highly skeptical.
At this point in the draft, I would not be surprised to see some of my targets still on the board at #207, just because the Cards board obviously not necessarily make sense to other teams. And no matter what, there are still several players ranked in the top 70 on the board, so I have no plans of selling the pick.
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Sixth round
At #207, only Trey Moore was left of my targets at #184, and I was still not thrilled with going after primarily a special teams-contributor (at least in the beginning). So, I went to the next couple of players on the board.
Eli Heidenreich, runningback, Navy
Nobody knows if he is a runningback or wide receiver, but at least everyone can agree that he is a great offensive weapon.
Tristan Leigh, offensive tackle, Clemson
Massive potential, but very up-and-down. Is he a better developmental project than Jon Gaines, Christian Jones, Hayden Connor and Josh Fryar?
Fernando Carmona, offensive guard, Arkansas
Call me crazy, but I actually think that Carmona could start as a rookie, but I just also think that his developmental potential is limited. Seumalo is obviously going to start, and I think that Adams will at least get the chance to prove that he belongs. And then we are back to question if Carmona is a better project than especially Gaines and Connor?
With the #207 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Eli Heidenreich, runningback, Navy
For most teams it will likely be an issue to project where Heidenreich will fit into their schemes, because the position he has played in Navy’s Mickey Mouse-offense doesn’t really exist in any NFL offense. Fortunately, that is not much of a problem in LaFleur’s scheme, as long as he integrates some of the most important elements from Shanahan and McVay.
I went to look for some video and information about Heidenreich, after I had fallen for him at the East-West Shrine Bowl, and what I found was that I am pretty confident that what has made him a star on the Navy team can translate to the NFL. His powerful runningstyle, great balance and receiving skills can make him a very useful role player in an offense that value misdirection and disguising playcalls. I see him as a third-down back because of his abilities in both the run- and pass game.
I pick again in ten spots, so I hope to get one of my other targets. However, I said the same thing after #184, so let’s see if they also get selected before I have the chance.
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Seventh round
So, all three options at #207 were still available, and I think this pick was one of the most difficult in this draft.
Trey Moore was not a true candidate, only because I think there are two better options. I have never understood the “well, late round picks never work out, so it doesn’t matter what you do.” Losers think that way, because if you don’t try to find contributors, you are not going to win. All good teams have late round contributors. Anyway, all that to say that I would see Moore as a special teams pick (which would be fine. Just not in this scenario).
That left me with Carmona and Leigh. Carmona has actually played left tackle for three years, but he was moved to guard before last season and flourished in there. Leigh is a longtime starter at left tackle for Clemson, and though he has also played both guard-positions, he does have a chance to stay at tackle in the NFL.
With the #207 pick the Arizona Cardinals select
Tristan Leigh, offensive tackle, Clemson
I truly believe that Carmona has the level to start early, but where? Seumalo and Adams are pretty entrenched, I think, and I would guess they would want to give Hayden Connor a chance. And Ossenfort and Justin Frye seemingly likes Jon Gaines a lot.
Plus, OT is obviously worth more than OG, and Leigh certainly has the potential to develop into a very good tackle. It is no coincidence that he was very highly recruited nationally (hard by Justin Frye at Ohio State, by the way), as he is highly athletic, strong and powerful. He is just very unstable in performances and bad technical, so there is a bigger learning curve before he can step in at all spots except for center.
It was a big surprise that he didn’t get invited to neither the Senior Bowl nor scouting combine, but he did go to the East-West Shrine Bowl and – in my opinion – looked more solid on a per-rep basis than at Clemson.
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