Most mock drafts have the Arizona Cardinals taking an offensive lineman with the eighth overall pick in the draft. With the acquisition of receiver DeAndre Hopkins, it makes sense.
However, in the latest Touchdown Wire mock draft from Doug Farrar, the tackle the Cardinals take is the one least connected to them.
He has them taking Georgia’s Andrew Thomas.
The Cardinals may be thinking the trade for DeAndre Hopkins was some sort of vivid dream, but the Texans did actually let them perform that particular bit of larceny. Now that Kyler Murray has another legitimate No. 1 receiver to pair with Larry Fitzgerald, it’s time to protect Murray’s blind side a bit better. D.J. Humphries did a decent job with that in 2019, allowing two sacks and 30 total pressures on 677 pass-blocking snaps, but adding Thomas to the equation would allow Humphries to kick to right tackle, and Arizona would have a very nice pair of plus-level pass-blockers. From there, it’s easy to project Murray as the NFL’s next breakout quarterback.
The one thing that doesn’t really vibe is moving Humphries back to right tackle. That wouldn’t happen, at least not in 2020. Humphries did play right tackle in 2016 but struggled. Thomas has played right tackle at a high level, having earned Freshman All-American honors as a freshman for the Bulldogs at right tackle.
Thomas might be the future at left tackle, as Humphries’ new contract is for three years, but for now, Thomas would play right tackle with the potential to be the future answer on Kyler Murray’s blind side.
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Ep. 262
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Ep. 261
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