Top of their draft class
With a projected top-5 pick, Cardinals can’t afford to miss
Arizona Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim can’t help but look ahead as the team prepares for the 2019 NFL draft. Here’s who they might target.
Cardinals coach Steve Wilks and his players are focusing all of their attention on the Detroit Lions this week as they prepare for their second-to-last home game of the season at State Farm Stadium. General Manager Steve Keim and the rest of the team’s scouting department, however, can’t help but look ahead as they prepare for the 2019 NFL draft. With a very realistic chance of picking somewhere in the top five, this will be one of the Cardinals’ most important drafts in recent history and given the shaky status of the roster as it stands today, they know they can’t afford to miss on
any of their selections.
Formulating a solid draft class come April will help determine if the Cardinals are still in total rebuild mode or if they’re close to turning the corner and returning to fully competitive status. Free agency and the trade market will also be critical factors as to just where the franchise is headed. But it’s the draft that usually always makes or breaks an NFL team.
Keim’s overall draft record hasn’t been the greatest. He’s had some major successes here and there, including third-round selections of safety Tyrann Mathieu (2013), running back David Johnson (2015) and presumably, center Mason Cole this year, but he’s also drafted his share of disasters. That’s evident when considering that a staggering 23 of his 36 selections overall in his six seasons since becoming GM have either been released or traded away.
So far, the Cardinals’ 2018 draft class, featuring first-round pick Josh Rosen and second-rounder Christian Kirk, has been shaping up to be Keim’s best. But he and the Cardinals need to hit another grand slam in the 2019 draft or things could spiral even worse than the team’s current 3-9 season.
If the season ended now, the Cardinals would own the fourth overall pick behind the 49ers, Raiders and Jets. Arizona has multiple draft needs, but when picking this high, the team would be wise to go with the best player available with its first selection.
Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa almost certainly figures to be off the board, but the Cardinals will be in great position to snag any of the other toprated talent. Here’s a look at some of their options in the first round and beyond:
If we were to just focus on five players the Cardinals could target with the fourth overall pick, the names would include, but not be limited to, defensive linemen Ed Oliver from Houston and possibly Quinnen Williams from Alabama, offensive lineman Jonah Williams from Alabama, cornerback Greedy Williams from LSU and yes, perhaps wide receiver N’Keal Harry from Arizona State.
Let’s start with Harry, who is listed at 6-4, 216. Some scouts may worry about his lack of speed and explosiveness, but he catches everything in sight and is a genuine playmaker and certain first-rounder. He might not get past the Jets if they’re still picking third overall, but if he’s available when the Cardinals are on the clock, he’s more than worth considering.
Some draft prognosticators believe Harry will go somewhere in the middle to late in the first round, whereas others project he could be a top-five pick. If the Cardinals don’t see him that high, they probably ought to pass although Arizona’s receiving corps needs a major shot in the arm. Adding a talent like Harry would do the trick, but the Cardinals need to add some veteran help here, too, via free agency or trade, especially if Larry Fitzgerald decides it’s finally time to call it a career.
The team’s offensive-line situation is just as important. Let’s assume the Cardinals plan to stick with the oft-injured D.J. Humphries for the final year of his rookie deal next season. That still doesn’t cover them long-term at left tackle, so drafting Jonah Williams could be a very wise selection, especially since the Cardinals can’t be sure that Korey Cunningham, their seventhround pick this year, is the real deal or not.
Williams, who is 6-4, 297, doesn’t have the prototypical height most teams are looking for as an ideal left tackle. But no one questions his NFL readiness and next-level ability. He could start as a rookie, even if the Cardinals decide to use him at right tackle for the first year. He’s also good enough to at least push Humphries on the left side.
Greedy Williams, who is 6-2, 195, is incredibly intriguing for the mere fact that the Cardinals have long been searching for a No. 2 starter opposite Patrick Peterson. The position becomes even more significant if Peterson decides to re-pursue his efforts to be traded during the offseason. He’s been saying all the right things lately, but that could change once this season mercifully comes to an end.
Williams has the length and athleticism to make an immediate impact. He has impeccable coverage skills and closing speed, and finished with six interceptions and 11 pass breakups this season for the Tigers. He will have to bulk up and gain some weight and muscle, but that shouldn’t be an issue.
As for Oliver and Quinnen Williams, either one would add a nice new dimension to the team’s defensive front. There’s no real way of telling what might become of defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. He could be back for at least another year and possibly two, or he could be traded or released given how inconsistent he has been and how injury-prone he seems to be. Defensive end Markus Golden, meanwhile, is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
In a perfect world, the Cardinals resign Golden to a workable new deal and add to their depth with Oliver, 63, 290, or Williams, 6-4, 295.
Before missing three games because of a knee injury, Oliver excelled against double- and triple-team blocking with 51 tackles, including 131⁄2 for a loss. A year ago, he finished with 73 tackles, 161⁄2 for a loss, and 51⁄2 sacks. Williams might actually grade out a little higher than Oliver and he caused more disruption against opposing offense than his numbers would suggest – 49 tackles, 14 of them for a loss, to go along with five sacks.
Other possible first-round options the Cardinals may consider include LSU linebacker Devin White, Alabama cornerback Trevon Diggs, Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown, Iowa tight end Noah Fant, Alabama safety Deionte Thompson, Ole Miss offensive tackle Greg Little, Mississippi State defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, Clemson edge rusher Clelin Ferrell and Michigan pass rusher Rashan Gary.
After they take the best player available on their board or decide to trade down to acquire additional draft picks, here are some names to look for as they go about making their next three or four selections:
Cornerbacks include local product Byron Murphy from Washington, Julian Love from Notre Dame, Kendall Sheffield from Ohio State, and Deandre Baker from Georgia.