Arizona Cardinals' 2023 NFL Draft series: Defensive backs, special teams
The Arizona Cardinals are coming off a 4-13 season and presently have eight picks, including three compensatory selections, in this year’s NFL draft, which begins Thursday. They also own the No. 3 overall pick in the first round unless they trade down to acquire more selections, which is entirely possible and rather likely.
Continuing today, The Republic offers a daily series of where the franchise stands at multiple positions and how the club may decide to address those spots through the draft.
Previously: Linebackers | Wide receiver, quarterback, running back | Offensive line
Today: Defensive backs/special teams
Players under contract: At cornerback, it’s Antonio Hamilton Jr., Marco Wilson, Christian Matthew, Rashad Fenton, Kris Boyd and Nate Hairston. At safety, it’s Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Josh Thomas, Jovante Moffatt and JuJu Hughes. Specialists on teams include kickers Matt Prater and Elliott Fry, punter Nolan Cooney and long-snapper Joe Fortunato.
Draft DEFCON level (1-5): 4
Explanation: As imperative as it feels for the Cardinals to draft a plug-and-play cornerback to the roster after the free-agent departure of Byron Murphy Jr., the DEFCON level will rise to a 5 if Baker is hellbent on seeking a trade elsewhere and Ossenfort sets a precedent about not giving a star player with two years left on his contract a brand new deal to appease him.
Baker probably deserves a raise considering all he’s done and meant to the organization, but the new GM must be careful here. Acquiescing to Baker’s demands, whether they be serious or just a veiled threat, could have long-lasting repercussions. It isn’t out of the realm of possibility that the team re-does his deal, but simply put, the Cardinals don’t have to, and they might not – at least not yet.
That could make for a very interesting offseason and summer for Baker, who may or may not show up for voluntary workouts and minicamps. If he chooses to stage a holdout or a “hold-in,” it’s only going to bring more depressing headlines to an organization that has seen enough of them in the past two years.
When is the NFL draft? Dates, times, location, TV channels, order, top picks for event
Whatever is to become of Baker’s future, it’s clear the Cardinals will be searching for a cornerback with one of their first couple of picks in the draft. They need a clear-cut No.1 outside corner who can shut down the opposition’s top-flight wide receiver and presently, they don’t have that man. There are multiple options to solve that problem through the draft, however.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see what the team does at punter and long snapper. Veterans Andy Lee and Aaron Brewer remain unsigned, unrestricted free agents but have indicated a desire to return to the Cardinals, especially if Prater and special teams coordinator Jeff Rodgers were to return, which they have. Rodgers has also said he’s all for a reunion, but we’ll see if it happens.
Potential prospects on the radar: It’s hard to believe the Cardinals would consider trading Baker under any circumstance, so the focus here really should be on what the team might be looking for at the cornerback position. The top three consensus prospects there are Christian Gonzalez from Oregon, Devon Witherspoon from Illinois, and Joey Porter Jr. from Penn State. Unless the Cardinals trade down from the third overall pick, however, the chances of them landing any one of these prospects is zero. They each could go anywhere from sixth overall to 14th.
Former NFL GM Mark Dominik has said Gonzalez, the brother-in-law of Cardinals reserve quarterback David Blough, is more than worthy enough of being the No.3 pick and during the scouting combine in Indianapolis, Gonzalez expressed his interest in playing for Arizona. That doesn’t mean it will happen, however.
NFL draft prediction: Arizona Cardinals take EDGE at No. 3 overall
If the Cardinals keep the No. 3 pick and go with an edge rusher in the first round – Will Anderson Jr. – they could go cornerback with their first pick in the second round, No. 34 overall, and options there could possibly include Cam Smith from South Carolina, Deonte Banks from Maryland, Keele Ringo from Georgia, Emmanuel Forbes from Mississippi State.
Keep your eyes on former Kansas State standout Julius Brents. The 6-foot-3 corner has drawn comparisons to the Seahawks’ Tariq Woolen, a fifth-round pick a year ago who made the Pro Bowl team as a rookie and tied for the league lead with six interceptions.
It won’t be a shock if the Cardinals draft at least one safety and then add at least one or two more as rookie free agents. Again, it’s difficult to see the situation with Baker get ultra dicey, but if it does the team should be ready to pounce on top safety prospect Brian Branch from Alabama. He’s as good as it gets among this year’s draft class at the position.
Other prospects in later rounds that could garner interest from Arizona include Jordan Battle from Alabama, Antonio Johnson from Texas A&M, Brandon Joseph from Notre Dame and Ronnie Hickman from Ohio State.
It’s difficult to see the Cardinals drafting a punter, but if Lee doesn’t re-sign, the team could use a sixth- or seventh-round pick on Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer or Oklahoma’s Michael Turk.
Related: Arizona State football players hope to hear their names called at the 2023 NFL Draft
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What will Cardinals do at defensive back, special teams in NFL draft?
