The Arizona Cardinals have locked up left tackle D.J.Humphries to a new three-year contract extension, but they still could use a right tackle. In ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s new mock draft, they take care of that starting job potentially with the eighth overall pick in the draft.
He has the Cardinals going with Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs.
This is a really good class for high-end offensive tackles — there could be five or six who go off the board in Round 1. That’s good news for Arizona, which has a hole even after it decided to bring back left tackle D.J. Humphries. Veteran right tackle Marcus Gilbert is set to hit free agency, while Justin Murray, who ended the season as the starter, is a former undrafted free agent who has bounced around the league. Wirfs played primarily on the right side for the Hawkeyes, and he had a dominant career. I expect him to test off the charts at the combine. Offensive Rookie of the Year Kyler Murray had a great first season, but the Cardinals need to add some more infrastructure around him to get Kliff Kingsbury’s offense to the next level.
Wirfs is the second offensive lineman off the board. The Cardinals pass on Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons and all the receivers.
This is a very possible scenario. General manager Steve Keim said he would take a tackle, a position hard to find in free agency, if the player is graded in the same tier as others at other positions, Keim is more likely to go with the tackle.
The question becomes whether the Cardinals believe Wirfs could play left tackle and how he grades out compared to Simmons and other players. D.J. Humphries is under contract three more seasons, but if Wirfs can play both, he could grow into the left tackle starter in 2023.
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Ep. 257
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Ep. 256
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