Cardinals Land Instant Impact Players in Two-Round Mock Draft

The Athletic's recent two-round mock draft should have Arizona Cardinals fans very excited.

ARIZONA -- We're slowly yet surely creeping towards the 2024 NFL Draft (100 days, but who's counting?) and thus the flurry of mock drafts is upon us. 

In The Athletic's recent two-round mock, the Cardinals weren't able to snag the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr. (he went No. 3 to the New England Patriots) though they did snag another great receiver to start their draft haul:

No. 4: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU

Dane Brugler: "The Cardinals miss out on Harrison, but the gap between Harrison and Nabers is very thin. Arizona needs to become more explosive on offense, especially through the air — 53 NFL players this season had at least 10 catches of 20-plus yards and none played for the Cardinals. Nobody in college football produced more catches of 20-plus yards than Nabers (34)."

Our take: Nabers is a fantastic receiver and certainly is a fine consolation prize on missing MHJ, though there would be some talk of taking a top offensive tackle if Harrison is off the board. In a perfect simulation, the Cardinals would trade back and land Nabers. 

No. 27: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

Brugler: "The new Cardinals regime drafted offensive line in the first round last year and might do it again. A team captain at BYU, Suamataia started at right tackle in 2022 before moving to left tackle this past season. He displays the high-end tools to be a longtime NFL starter."

Our take: It's never a bad option to beef up the line of scrimmage, especially with the left side of the line questionable heading into next season. Protect Kyler and thrive. 

No. 35: Chop Robinson, EDGE, Penn State

Brugler: "Robinson is a polarizing prospect — like Nix, some see him as a third-rounder, others think he’ll go much higher. But it is hard to see his explosive get-off falling out of the top 40, especially considering this mediocre group of pass-rush prospects."

Our take: The Zaven Collins edge experiment failed this year, and Arizona struggled mightily to get to the passer this season. The Cardinals' youth movement needs to continue up front, and Robinson is one of the top prospects at his position. 

We actually had Robinson going to Arizona in the first round of our recent three-round mock draft, which can be found below:

Three-Round Mock Draft: Cardinals Snag Their Prized Possession