Three-Round Mock Draft: Cardinals Snag Elite Talent After Trading Down
We're less than three weeks away from the Arizona Cardinals really beginning their rebuild in the 2023 NFL Draft, and thus the time for talk is nearly over.
Key word: Nearly.
There's still plenty of room for mock drafts galore, and here we complete a three-round mock draft on Pro Football Focus' mock draft simulator.
Here's how the cookie crumbled - and with little bias injected here - this would be sweet, no pun intended.
Three-Round Mock Draft: Cardinals Snag Elite Talent After Trading Down
*After trading with the Tennessee Titans, the Cardinals are on the clock at pick No. 11*
Round 1, Pick 11: Deonte Banks, DB, Maryland
Moving down and getting picks for 2023 and 2024 was a no-brainer, as the Titans are likely to pay a pretty penny to move up to No. 3.
There would still be some superb talent available, and though Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon went in the two picks before No. 11, the Cardinals still satisfy their need at CB with Maryland's Deonte Banks.
Banks (6-0, 197 lbs) is a versatile chess piece that can align anywhere, whether that be at slot or boundary duties - something Arizona lost with Byron Murphy leaving in free agency.
PPF Bio: "What an athlete. Banks went 4.35 in the 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical and an 11-foot-4 broad jump at the NFL Combine. That matched his tape, where he easily mirrored receivers at all levels of the field … Banks has all the physical traits of an All-Pro cornerback. He just needs to be more consistent with his technique."
Round 2, Pick 34: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE, Kansas State
Sure, Murphy's roster spot was filled, but what about Zach Allen and J.J. Watt?
The Cardinals lost 18 combined sacks between the two former defensive linemen, exactly half of their sack production. Though L.J. Collier joined in free agency, Arizona will need more capable bodies to get after the passer.
Enter: Felix Anudike-Uzomah.
Anudike-Uzomah (6-3, 255 lbs) isn't quite Will Anderson, but everybody in the draft community has raved about his traits and motor/effort.
PFF Bio: "Anudike-Uzomah is one of the best edge benders in the draft class. He’s the type of edge rusher that’s going to convert a lot of pressures to sacks because of that. Of his 89 pressures the past two seasons, 21 ended up as sacks … Anudike-Uzomah has really easy tape to project to the next level. He's one of the higher-floor pass-rushers in the class."
Round 2, Pick 41 (From Titans Trade): Luke Wypler, OC, Ohio State
The Cardinals were able to address their two major losses in free agency in the first two picks, but an underrated issue is the youth movement that will eventually have to take place within Arizona's offensive line.
More importantly - thanks to the retirement of Rodney Hudson - the Cardinals will need a starting center moving forward.
Luke Wypler fills both a need and value extremely well here in the second round.
Versatility is often coveted in young interior offensive linemen, but Wypler only projects to play as a center in the NFL. He's not the most physically imposing and there's nothing flashy to his game, but Wypler is heralded for his ability to anchor an offensive line and do his job at a high level.
PFF Bio: "Wypler may be on the small side, but he’s as advanced a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman as you’ll see. He’s likely a center only, and a darn good one, after earning overall grades of 82.4 and 79.6 in his two seasons as a starter … Wypler is well beyond his years from a technical standpoint. How many times do you hear of an early draft declaree at center?"
Round 3, Pick 66: Nathaniel Dell, WR, Houston
Holes are nearly everywhere for Arizona to fill, and one will be opening soon with the eventual departure of DeAndre Hopkins.
The Cardinals will need another weapon at receiver - and though he's another undersized receiver - Nathaniel Dell brings a home run hitting capability to Arizona's offense.
Dell's speed, route-running and ability to win one-on-one matchups (on top of his production) should bode well at the next level.
There would be a lot of hesitation with this pick, and very understandably so. The trio of Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore and Dell would leave little size for Kyler Murray to work with in the red zone.
However, you have to trust that when all are healthy, the Cardinals would figure out a way to utilize that trio's speed in a similar (and very watered down) way to what the Dolphins are doing with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
PFF Bio: Dell’s size — 5-foot-10, 165 pounds — won’t be for everyone, but he’s an easy separator with another gear to stride away from defenders. He had a monster 2022 campaign for Houston with 108 catches, 1,399 yards and 17 scores … Everyone is looking for speed and separation ability nowadays, and Dell ticks those boxes. Just know he comes with certain role limitations."
Round 3, Pick 96: Chandler Zavala, OG, NC State
In the final pick of this three-round mock draft, the Cardinals return to the trenches and add a youthful, elite athlete to the interior with Chandler Zavala.
Protecting the passer is something Zavala did well, giving up zero sacks last season and one total QB hit the last two years for the Wolfpack. There's no need to stress the importance of keeping Kyler Murray upright, something Zavala obviously is capable of doing.
PFF Bio: "Zavala wasn’t on a ton of radars after only five career starts prior to 2022. He changed that quickly, as he allowed only four pressures on 422 pass-blocking snaps this past season."
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