Five Prospects Cardinals Must Monitor During NFL Combine

With the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine underway, here are five prospects the Arizona Cardinals should be specifically looking at.

Author:
Richie Bradshaw
Publish date:
Mar 2, 2023 9:25 AM EST

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Arizona Cardinals

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine is officially kicking off workouts today and the Arizona Cardinals will be one of the teams paying the closest attention to 99% of the prospects thanks to a surplus of picks and prime capital to add top prospects from the class. It's certainly one of the benefits of having such a disastrous 2022 season.

On top of needing talent, the Cardinals will be seeking new direction under new head coach and general manager Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort, respectively. This will be a very important draft for the team.

With that in mind, here are five players that the Cardinals should be paying the most attention to while in Indianapolis. There are some top-end talents for sure, but don't forget to find those diamonds in the rough:

1. Will Anderson Jr., EDGE Alabama

Anderson feels like the biggest slam-dunk option if the Cardinals plan to stay put with the third overall pick. A highly productive player each of his three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Anderson has a chance to be the top overall prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class.

With the Combine, Anderson will have a chance to separate himself from his peers. It is a deep edge rushing class. Although Anderson should have the edge over the competition (no pun intended), the Combine will be an excellent opportunity for him to stand out.

Anderson is already standing at 6'4" and 243 lbs. and will likely stand out in wingspan, hand size, etc. If he can show off his twitchy athleticism during his workouts, Anderson will solidify his status as EDGE1 in this class. Should he do that, Anderson should be the favorite for the Cardinals to draft with the third pick.

2. Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

While Anderson has a chance to test very well, all eyes will be on the Red Raiders' Wilson to look even more dominant. Wilson is built like a Greek god at 6'6" and 275 lbs. with a pro comparison to former Pro Bowler Ezekiel Ansah. When it comes to athletic comparisons, it's hard to top that.

For Wilson, there are expectations that many believe he will assuredly match when it comes to bend and speed. If he does reach these aspirations, Wilson could capture the title of EDGE2 behind Anderson and maybe depending on the team/draft board be EDGE1. We saw this last year with Travon Walker testing better than Kayvon Thibodeaux and subsequently becoming the number one overall pick. His ceiling could be higher than Anderson's and teams may feel obliged to agree.

The Cardinals could fancy Wilson with the third pick in all actuality, but he would be a prime candidate should the Cardinals opt to trade down a few spots. Wilson has a chance to test through the roof and the Cardinals should take notice.

3. Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

The Cardinals need to upgrade their offensive line in the worst way, and at the top of the second round, there should be some great options to fill that need. Jones should be near the top of that list.

Jones is a massive man at 6'8" and 375 lbs. and feels like a perfect fit on the right side of the line. The former Buckeye has a ridiculous 89.5-inch wingspan (or 7 feet 5 inches), which was a record for the Reese's Senior Bowl back in January. With all that build, Jones will need to show that he can move well and isn't just a massive man.

For the Cardinals, scooping up Jones would allow the team to feature bookend tackles with him across from D.J. Humphries for the first time in maybe ever. Jones will have an opportunity to generate some round-one hype, but he could sit at the very top of day two for the Cardinals to swoop in and grab him.

4. Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

Ringo's stock is hard to gauge and it doesn't help that the 2023 draft class has a surplus of talent at the cornerback position. Some people have Ringo as the top cornerback prospect and some have him outside the top five. The Combine will be his opportunity to get a more stable draft value.

At 6'2" and 210 lbs., there will be no questions about his elite size for the position. His tape is up and down, but he has major ball-hawking skills, including the game-sealing pick-six against Alabama in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship. If Ringo can come out of Indianapolis with great testing numbers, he should be able to make some more certainty about his draft value.

The Cardinals need help in their secondary and will be looking for a number-one cornerback. Ringo, a local kid from Saguaro High School, fits that mantra. If he dominates the Combine, he could secure his rights to the first round. If he doesn't blow everyone away, he would be a potential steal for the Cardinals in the second round.

5. Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton

Many of you are probably asking the same question right now: Who? Don't worry, you'll soon know the name Andrei Iosivas.

Iosivas comes from Princeton of the Ivy League and he's quickly gaining momentum during this year's draft process. At 6'3" and 212 lbs., Iosivas will be looking to put together good workout numbers to help him stand out. With the draft community already jumping on his potential, a good Combine could propel his stock.

The wide receiver spot is a sleeper need for the Cardinals should DeAndre Hopkins indeed be traded and Iosivas would give the team a great complimentary option opposite Marquise Brown. Iosivas is a sleeper prospect for the team to monitor during the Combine.