In luck: Draft is deep in corners

Cards look for defender to join Peterson at CB

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s hard enough for an NFL team to find one elite cornerback. It seems close to impossible to identify and afford a second one.

The most cost-effective way to do it is through the draft. This year, teams that are in need of cornerbacks – and that’s most of them, including the Cardinals – are in luck. Draft gurus and scouts believe this cornerback class is the deepest in years.

“If you don't get one in the first round, you can come back in the second or third round and really help yourself,” said NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock.

That’s good news for the Cardinals who for the second consecutive year are looking for someone to play opposite Patrick Peterson, who has been selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls as a cornerback.

Spending big money in free agency is probably not an option, since the Cardinals already have almost $22 million in cap space devoted to two defensive backs, Peterson ($13.7) and Tyrann Mathieu ($8.1).

The Cardinals likely will try to find their second starting cornerback through the same methods they used a year ago: returning players, a draft pick or two and reasonably priced free agents.

The most obvious returning candidate is Justin Bethel. The Cardinals signed him to an extension in 2015 with the idea he would become a starter the next season.

But Bethel was hampered by foot injuries in the spring and summer. Veteran Mike Jenkins suffered a torn ACL in August, and Brandon Williams, the thirdround pick, lost his starting job after the first two games of the season.

Marcus Cooper, obtained in a trade at the end of the preseason,