Three Takeaways From Cardinals 2022 Draft
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The NFL draft is already in the rear-view mirror.
The dust has yet to settle from Arizona's 2022 class of rookies hoping to make an impact for the Cardinals moving forward, and opinions are already being formed on how they performed through seven rounds of action.
Arizona Cardinals 2022 Draft Class
Trey McBride (TE, Colorado State)
Cameron Thomas (OLB, San Diego State)
Myjai Sanders (OLB, Cincinnati)
Keaontay Ingram (RB, Southern California)
Lecitus Smith (G, Virginia Tech)
Christian Matthew (CB, Valdosta State)
Jesse Luketa (OLB, Penn State)
Marquis Hayes (G, Oklahoma)
The 2022 season is rapidly approaching. With OTAs and the schedule release upcoming, fans will be flocking to State Farm Stadium to watch the Cardinals practice in no time.
While the dust begins to settle on an exhausting three-day marathon, here's some takeaways from Arizona's 2022 draft haul:
Takeaways From Cardinals 2022 Draft Class
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Small Schools Hoping to Provide Big Boost
Cardinals general manager Steve Keim used four of his eight picks on players from schools outside of Power-5 conferences, which included his first three selections and a seventh-round corner from Valdosta State ($1 if anybody can spot that on a map without looking).
Seven players outside of Power-5 conferences were selected before Arizona grabbed the draft's eight representative in Colorado State's Trey McBride.
A total of 78 players outside of Power-5 schools were taken compared to the 184 players from conferences such as the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12.
Arizona's total of four players is nearly double the 2.4 average for the entire league.
Although Keim's eggs aren't all in one basket, it's clear the Cardinals are looking to find contributors in all parts of the country.
Great players will eventually rise to the top no matter where they previously played. Arizona hopes for their lesser-known guys to do big things on the field.
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Cardinals Balancing Future Concerns With Present
If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail.
That's the motto Keim and the rest of the Cardinals organization have lived by since taking over in Arizona. Selecting a tight end in the second round with other glaring needs doesn't look good on paper, but Keim explained their thought process behind the pick to reporters shortly after the move was completed.
He said, "I think one thing too guys, we always have to remember we owe it to the organization to do the right things for not only today but tomorrow and the future. We got a young quarterback that we're excited about, we have a 24-year-old receiver we added yesterday and we just added another young dynamic playmaker as a tight end, so it made sense in every way."
Once you realize McBride can play multiple positions, Zach Ertz will turn 32-years-old in November and Maxx Williams just turned 28 and is also coming off ACL surgery, more clarity is offered.
That was also the case when Arizona traded for Marquise Brown on Thursday, a young receiver who will hopefully make the transition from the eventual departure of veterans such as DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green smoother.
However, the Cardinals also made sure to address holes such as outside linebacker with third-round picks Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders. Either player can contribute right away opposite Markus Golden.
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Kyler Murray, the Floor is Yours
Room for excuses is no more.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has been insistent on receiving a contract extension throughout the offseason, taking Arizona along on a saga consisting of laughable demands from his agent and varying social media segments.
There's no beating around the bush: The Cardinals plan on handing him the money. You don't bring back Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury if Murray isn't in your future plans.
However, this year's draft haul supplied Murray with two more offensive weapons at his disposal in an offense that already hqd Pro-Bowl players at each skill position.
Arizona's offense now features the following:
RB: James Conner, Keaontay Ingram, Eno Benjamin, Jonathan Ward
WR: DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green, Rondale Moore, Marquise Brown
TE: Zach Ertz, Maxx Williams, Trey McBride
That's an offense most quarterbacks in the league would dream of having.
The Cardinals have held up their end of the deal. Arizona went out and surrounded Murray with even more suitable players at his disposal, and will likely hand him a fat paycheck sooner rather than later.
Once that deposit hits, the pressure understandably shifts to the shoulders of Murray.
Excuses for Murray will be void. He'll be one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league with weapons everywhere. Murray's maturity and decision-making must improve; that's non-negotiable.
If Murray is worth his weight in gold like he believes he is, Arizona will go places they haven't seen since drafting him three years ago. He now has the help to do that, if he didn't already.
