The latest mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay is out and it goes a full two rounds. That doesn’t matter for the Arizona Cardinals, of course. They traded their second-round pick to the Houston Texans as part of the deal that brought receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona.
They do, though, still have a first-round pick and, as many have projected ever since the Cardinals made the trade for Hopkins, McShay has them selecting an offensive lineman with the eighth overall pick.
In this mock draft, he has them selecting Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs.
Wide receiver had long been discussed here, but the addition of DeAndre Hopkins makes protecting quarterback Kyler Murray the key priority for this pick. The Cardinals just can’t allow Murray to be sacked as much as he was last season (50), and Wirfs is an extremely athletic big man with great potential.
With how McShay has the first seven picks going, the Cardinals have their choice of all the tackles and all the receivers.
While many can debate who is the best tackle of the group, Wirfs probably has the highest upside with his athleticism. Four tackles — Wirfs, Jedrick Wills, Andrew Thomas and Mekhi Becton — are all expected to be selected in the top half of the first round.
Wirfs would fit the Cardinals’ system, but the only question is whether he would start as a rookie. If a lineman is the pick, he will have to beat out Marcus Gilbert, who is one of the league’s more talented right tackles when healthy.
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Ep. 262
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Ep. 261
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