Cardinals Address Trenches in Three-Round Mock Draft
The Arizona Cardinals have quite the dilemma approaching them with the No. 3 pick.
The phones will be ringing off the charts for general manager Monti Ossenfort, who admitted that the team will work through all different options which includes potentially trading down.
Should Arizona stick to their guns, either Georgia DL Jalen Carter or Alabama EDGE Will Anderson figures to be available. Either have the potential to emerge as a cornerstone player in the desert for years to come.
Yet what about outside the first round? The Cardinals are projected to have four picks in the first three rounds and have the potential to see some serious talent acquired in that time.
In this three-round mock draft, we have Arizona hammering down talent in the trenches for both sides of the ball:
RD 1, Pick 3: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama
Quick analysis: Let's not overthink this. Will Anderson was a dominant edge rusher at Alabama, and his mere presence on the defensive side of the ball would do wonders for the rest of the squad.
Arizona needs a game-wrecker. They also need to rush the quarterback better. Anderson checks both of those boxes.
RD 2, Pick 34: Siaki Ika, DT, Baylor
Quick analysis: So, we passed up Jalen Carter for Anderson hoping another strong presence in the interior would be available.
Our gamble was right, as Baylor's Siaki Ika was there for the taking. While maybe not as athletic as Carter, Ika proved very capable of reaching the passer from the defensive interior and has a great motor for a big man. Offensive lines will have a ton of fun trying to move a 6-4, 358 pound Ika.
RD 3, Pick 66: Jarrett Patterson, OG, Notre Dame
Quick analysis: There was some thought on grabbing an offensive tackle here, yet with most being left tackles (and D.J. Humphries still capable of playing well) we address one of the two guard positions with Jarrett Patterson (who started at center for three years, too).
Patterson doesn't seem to do anything "great" but does everything good, ranging from his athleticism to overall abilities as a football player. Get him in the mix early in AZ.
RD 3, Pick 93: Luke Wypler, OC, Ohio State
Quick analysis: Nobody knows what the future holds for Rodney Hudson, but everybody can agree they should have snagged his replacement prior to the 2023 NFL Draft.
However, we were able to snag Wypler here, who may not exactly be the best physically but makes up for it with his technique and ability to both pass protect and climb to different levels on rushing plays.
Overall Thoughts/Takeaways
The biggest omission here might be cornerback or wide receiver, depending on what happens with Byron Murphy or DeAndre Hopkins moving forward.
Still, I wanted to build both side of the ball from the inside out, and although this isn't selling a lot of jerseys or will be praised as a "sexy" draft, this would help give Arizona a few building blocks for success down the road.
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