There might not be a college football season, which will make things interesting for NFL teams as they look ahead to the 2021 draft. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be early projections for how the draft will play out.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper put together his way-too-early mock draft. Who does he project for the Arizona Cardinals?
The Cardinals pick 10th, based on ESPN’s FPI.
They land a top receiver prospect — Alabama’s DeVonta Smith.
Before he decided to return to Tuscaloosa for his senior year, Smith was generating first-round buzz last fall. It isn’t easy to make 68 catches for 1,256 yards and 14 scores when A) your star QB misses a chunk of the season, and B) your wide receiver room also includes Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and Jaylen Waddle. But Smith did it, thanks in part to his explosive burst off the line, crisp route running, sneaky speed and excellent hands. In this scenario, he’d share Kyler Murray’s targets with DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk and others, but with coach Kliff Kingsbury looking to use more four-WR sets and Smith’s experience carving out a niche, he’d be a good fit and future No. 2 opposite Hopkins in the desert.
Fitzgerald could retire after this season. If none of their young receivers take the next step in their development to be at least a number three player behind Hopkins and Kirk, Smith would still give the Cardinals one of the best receiver trios in the league.
Of course, if they end up picking 10th, things did not go well in 2020.
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