Cardinals go offense early, defense late in full mock draft simulation
Now that we are firmly in NFL draft season, we have reached the part of the offseason when we start to look at different scenarios. We will run a full mock draft simulation each weekend until the actual draft.
In this first one, the Cardinals go with offensive weapons with their first three selections.
Check out the picks for the Cardinals below from this simulation I ran on The Draft Network. Based on the picks the Cardinals have, they received two seventh-round compensatory picks.
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Round 1: Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson
The decision came down to two big-name receivers and two guards. Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green and Boston College guard Zion Johnson both are on the board and both are tempting.
Receivers Wilson and Drake London are also on the board. London’s length and playmaking would be perfect as the Cardinals’ ‘Z’ receiver position. But Wilson’s talent and speed are too much to pass up.
He ran a sub-4.4 in the 40. He cad 70 catches for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Round 2: Texans A&M RB Isaiah Spiller
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Spiller gives the Cardinals a young every-down back, no matter what happens in free agency. He had over 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons.
Round 3: Ohio State TE Jeremy Ruckert
Ruckert might be the most complete tight end of the class. He didn’t have big production at Ohio State because of the receivers they had. He caught 26 passes for 309 yards last season.
Round 6: USC CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart
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Since they don’t take a cornerback early, the Cardinals love going with players with super athleticism. Taylor-Stuart has length and speed.
Round 7: Michigan LB Josh Ross
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Rather than a super athletic off-ball linebacker in the first round, we go with a more traditional downhill linebacker in the seventh round.
Round 7: Michigan DT Chris Hinton
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Hinton can move across the defensive line and should be a strong run defender, making him a good rotational player.
Round 7: Alabama EDGE Christopher Allen
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Cardinals need pass rushing help and Allen could add to the rotation.
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