The Arizona Cardinals had their eyes on Derrick Brown last year leading up to the NFL draft. They probably would have made him the No. 8 overall pick had the Carolina Panthers not taken him seventh overall.
In Pro Football Focus’ latest mock draft, the Cardinals land a big defensive lineman with the 16th pick a year later.
This mock draft has Arizona selecting Alabama defensive lineman Christian Barmore.
A slot receiver would be a big consideration for the Cardinals, and Waddle could be the pick if he’s still available, but this team was just awful along the interior defensive line last season. Barmore is raw but easily has the most upside for any interior defensive lineman in the draft. His technique and agility are elite for the position.
Key Change: The Cardinals’ cumulative grade from interior defensive linemen was 41.7 last season, the second-lowest in the league. Barmore comes in at 90.7 over the previous two seasons.
It seems hard to believe that Arizona would pass on one of the top receivers, especially after general manager Steve Keim called the top four or five in the class “game changers.”
However, Barmore would really stack the defensive line. With J.J. Watt, Jordan Phillips, Zach Allen and then the young tandem of Leki Fotu and Rahsard Lawrence, Barmore would be able to rotate in and make an impact.
He is 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds. He had eight sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles for Alabama in their championship season.
Would they pass on a big-time receiver in Jaylen Waddle to take Barmore?
That is doubtful, but then again, it seems unlikely that Waddle will drop all the way to No. 20.
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