With the offseason in full swing, mock drafts are beginning to pop up all over. They all provide interesting scenarios that could potentially play out on draft night.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuters published a three-round mock draft in which the Arizona Cardinals do one completely predictable thing in the first round but make a bit of a surprise pick in the second round.
In the first round, the Cardinals take Alabama tackle Jedrick Wills with the eighth overall pick.
He is the first offensive lineman selected, so in this scenario, the Cardinals view him as the best lineman in the draft.
Cardinals OTs D.J. Humphries and Marcus Gilbert are pending unrestricted free agents, so it won’t be a surprise to see the team use two early-round picks on the position. Wills made great strides in pass protection while maintaining his bullish attitude as a run blocker in his junior season, becoming a likely longtime NFL starter.
Taking a lineman is the very predictable thing to do. Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb is off the board in this draft and they get the best tackle in the draft, at least in their eyes.
What is surprising is what happens after that.
Most feel that the Cardinals will address the wide receiver position early in the draft. However, Reuters has the Cardinals taking Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins in the second round.
A running back?
This only happens if the Cardinals can’t or don’t re-sign Kenyan Drake. If that situation comes up, then this is completely possible. The Cardinals could roll with David Johnson another year, draft Dobbins and phase him out. They could also still deal Johnson and roll with Dobbins and Chase Edmonds. It would be an interesting scenario.
In the third round, Reuters has Arizona Baylor defensive lineman James Lynch.
Lynch was hugely productive his junior season, picking up 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss from the defensive interior. He could boost the Cardinals defense and give them some strength up front, something they direly need.
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Ep. 257
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Ep. 256
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