Cardinals 3-round mock draft simulation nets OL, DL, TE

Now that the regular season is over, the long offseason for Arizona Cardinals fans has begun. Part of this long journey includes mock drafts, which for some give them an idea of who the Cardinals could draft.

Many sites offer some form of a mock draft machine. Pro Football Focus is one of those and theirs is quite robust – offering trades and a variety of lengths to use.

Today we will go through a three-round mock draft for Arizona with PFF’s mock draft engine.

Round 1: Northwestern OL Rashawn Slater

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Slater is not someone that is often mocked to Arizona, likely because he is off the board long before the Cardinals pick in many mocks. He has five-position versatility, something that general manager Steve Keim loves in his linemen, and could step in right away at center, guard or even right tackle. The grade was not great from PFF here but this is likely due to the positional value. The other option here was Patrick Surtain II, a cornerback from Alabama. He would probably be the pick if Patrick Peterson moves on and/or if they don't make any free agent moves. The only team willing to trade up was Tampa Bay at No. 32, which would not make much sense for the Cardinals, who need an injection of top talent into the roster still.

Round 2: N.C. State DL Alim McNeil

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McNeil is likely given a higher grade by PFF than others, but Arizona needs a difference-maker on the front line, and McNeil has a good amount of upside with his athleticism. He could immediately replace Corey Peters. There were a couple of intriguing cornerback options on the board here as well in Tay Gowan and Tyson Campbell, but McNeil makes a lot of sense to keep in red and black jerseys.

Round 3: Miami TE Brevin Jordan

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Given the lack of free agent tight ends and the lack of depth in this class, this would be a great pick for Arizona. Jordan is a move tight end that has blocking upside and would give the Cardinals someone with upside at the position. Jordan was not the top-rated player available for the pick. That was North Carolina running back Michael Carter but it made sense to fill a need for Arizona's offense. Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Latest show:

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