Former NFL GM: Here's Who Cardinals Should Draft

The Arizona Cardinals would shock everybody by doing this.

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Matthew Golden (2) stiff arms Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Maxwell Hairston (1) in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2024. | Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals currently own the 16th overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, and after filling some top needs in free agency, general manager Monti Ossenfort did well to put the Cardinals in a strong position entering the first round.

The Cardinals don't exactly have any "red alert, must draft x position" needs as we approach April, which opens the door for any and all players to be selected by Arizona.

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum has quite the wild pick for the Cardinals in his recent ESPN mock draft, however.

In placing himself in the shoes of every general manager, Tannenbaum selected Texas Longhorns WR Matthew Golden with the following explanation:

"Despite adding Marvin Harrison Jr . in the top five last April, Arizona was 16th in passing yards per attempt (7.1) and tied for 20th in touchdown catches (21) last season. Adding another blue-chip receiver to go with Harrison and tight end Trey McBride would take this offense to the next level. Golden 's incredible timed speed (4.29 seconds in the 40-yard dash) translates well to game play, and he is an excellent route runner with good hands. I think Golden has a chance to be a better pro than college player."

This would be quite the shocking pick, as the Cardinals could indeed add another wide receiver to their room but are also much more likely to address positions such as defensive line, edge or offensive line in the early portions of the draft.

Golden no doubt would be a strong weapon in Arizona, and he fits the profile of a deep threat wideout the Cardinals need,

His NFL.com profile compares him to Chris Olave:

"Golden works all three levels of the field with similar consistency and productivity. His route-running needs refinement, but he does a decent job of altering tempo and separating at break points. Golden has the ability to play all three receiver spots. He also has the agility and body control to turn near-misses into highlight catches. Focus drops still pepper his play, but he’s a willing participant in traffic and took command of contested catches with better physicality and catch strength in 2024. Golden’s starting-level traits and big leap forward as a go-to playmaker have him primed to become a productive catch-maker with the potential to develop into a WR1 in the future."

That all sounds great, but it's much more likely the Cardinals would opt to bolster their trenches, especially in an offense that's predicated on running the football.