It will be mock draft season for a while longer and now we have a different type of mock draft from Pro Football Focus. It is an analytics-based mock draft that considers positional value, which places a premium on how a position affects the passing game, and PFF’s college-to-pro projections using their grading system.
So who is the projection for the Arizona Cardinals?
PFF has them taking Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy.
There was a lot of debate about either taking a tackle here or reuniting Kyler Murray with his former Sooner teammate, CeeDee Lamb. However, Jeudy’s production and athleticism made him our No. 2 wide receiver in our projection system, and Kyler found himself without an open receiver far too often in his rookie season.
Many have debated and will debate whether the Cardinals should take Lamb or Jeudy if they decide to go with a receiver. There might not be a wrong answer.
What is interesting in this mock draft is that neither Jeudy nor Lamb are the first receiver taken. The first receiver is Jeudy’s Alabama teammate, Henry Ruggs, who goes fourth overall to the New York Giants.
In this mock draft, not a single interior defensive lineman or running back is selected in the first round.
It is an interesting exercise. It doesn’t give any insight as to how the first round might play out but does raise questions about the value of certain positions.
As for the Cardinals, taking a receiver at No. 8 overall is a real possibility. It might be Jeudy and it might be Lamb.
As for the rest of the mock draft, it won’t happen that way at all.
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Ep. 260
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Ep. 259
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