The Arizona Cardinals made probably the best move in free agency in trading for WR DeAndre Hopkins. Adding Hopkins was already a good move in and of itself but when you consider Arizona only gave up a second-round pick and RB David Johnson, a player whose contract the team was trying to move anyway, that makes the trade even better. God bless Bill O’Brien. The Cardinals are an ascending team with Hopkins and thrilling second-year quarterback Kyler Murray, however, there are plenty of holes to fill in order to complete this rebuild Arizona started. I will try to address these needs as best as I can using the Mock Draft Simulator from TheDraftNetwork.com
The Cardinals have a host of receivers in place for Murray and Kenyan Drake is poised to open the season as the starting running back, so the skill positions are pretty well set. Providing Murray with more protection up front is going to have to be a priority in this draft. The team struck a deal with OT D.J. Humphries to stick around at left tackle, but the rest of the offensive line needs some major work. Guards J.R. Sweezy and Justin Pugh are not ideal starters at this point of their careers and last year’s starting center A.Q. Shipley is currently still a free agent, leaving 2019 sixth-round pick Lamont Gaillard as the presumptive starter. Arizona brought back Marcus Gilbert to pencil in at right tackle but he cannot be trusted to start since he has only played in twelve games the past three years due to injury. The Cardinals NEED to upgrade on all of these players if they want to keep their young quarterback upright and healthy.
The Arizona defense was positively atrocious in 2019, making it their primary focus in free agency. The Cardinals added big nose tackle Jordan Phillips to their defensive line while also signing EDGE Devon Kennard and LB DeVondre Campbell to play alongside Chandler Jones and Jordan Hicks, respectively. While these are solid moves, I would argue that there is more work to be done to improve their defensive front. I wrestled with adding a young defender there with the eighth overall pick and yet ultimately I could not ignore the offensive line:
Round 1, Pick 8: Tristan Wirfs, OL, Iowa
Tristan Wirfs absolutely blew up the combine with his athletic testing, with his 40-yard dash, broad, and vertical jumps all scoring in the 98th percentile or higher for offensive lineman. I think all this athleticism could be problematic though, as he may have relied on it too much in college. I heard some draft pundits talk about Wirfs having to kick inside to guard at the next level and boy, I understand their thinking. It does not show up with Wirfs in the run game, where his speed flashes when he climbs to the second level and works laterally on zone runs. Wirfs is really physical and shows a prowess for punishing people and putting them in the dirt, although I wish he was more consistent in finishing his blocks. The problems arise with his technique and recognition skills in pass protection. Too many times I saw Wirfs react too late to speedy, bendier edge rushers, who were able to turn the corner on him and get pressure on his quarterback. Inside moves were a huge problem, as Wirfs was too slow to react to rushers coming across his face and attacking his inside shoulder. Stunts and twists were even a problem for Wirfs as he struggled to come off of his initial block to stop another rusher looping around. I do not mean to speak too much on the negatives here, they just show that Wirfs’s projection to the NFL is a little murky. If an NFL offensive line coach can overhaul his technique, Wirfs has all of the physical skills to be a great tackle, but teams must also be prepared to move him inside to guard if those teachings do not stick. I wish I gave Arizona a more sure-fire tackle prospect, nevertheless, they have needs all over the line, so Wirfs should have no problem being a dominant force regardless of where they decide to play him. Watch this rep against Wisconsin, where he is lined up at right tackle:
Wirfs moves his feet really well, shows strong hands and finishes the block by throwing the rusher to the turf. Flashes of athleticism and power litter his tape no matter which game you watch. His NFL home may be a little up in the air, yet he remains one heck of an offensive line prospect that the Cardinals should be elated to draft.
Round 3, Pick 72: Nick Harris, OC, Washington
Another offensive lineman for Arizona, a common theme for this draft. The biggest issue for Nick Harris is his lack of size. He is short for a lineman, so he will likely be a center only, his college position. Harris is not very strong at the point of attack, yet his hand usage is excellent to recover if a defender is able to push him backwards off the snap. His lack of length can be an issue as well if defenders can rush around him and outside his frame. I love Harris’s athleticism though. It is fun to watch him get out in space on screen passes and pull from his center position. He flies upfield off the snap and drives second-level defenders back easily. Here is an example of this against Oregon, where again, Harris is the center:
Harris has all the skills to be a plug-and-play center in the league, something the Cardinals sorely need right now.
Round 4, Pick 114: McTelvin Agim, DT, Arkansas
I already mocked McTelvin Agim in my Vikings draft but I am glad I get to check him out in greater detail here. Agim is relatively new to the interior defensive line after kicking inside from end. He can get pushed backwards in the run game a little bit if he is asked to two-gap, however, it is his pass rush ability that has me excited about him. Teams that run a more aggressive, penetration style front are going to love Agim. His first step burst of the ball and his ability to shoot gaps is fantastic. He even has more polished pass rush moves thanks to his background as an EDGE defender. Watch this interior rush against Ole Miss:
Agim shows off a nice club/rip and flies upfield to put a hit on the quarterback. Agim is a good developmental interior rusher who should compete to start alongside Jordan Phillips and Zach Allen sooner rather than later.
Round 4, Pick 131: Shane Lemieux, OG, Oregon
I know I have mocked Lemieux to a couple of teams now and I wanted to give Arizona someone else just for the sake of variety, but the former Oregon Duck is such a great fit for the Cardinals zone-blocking scheme that I could not help myself. He should compete to start very quickly.
Round 6, Pick 202: Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech
Keene was underutilized at Virginia Tech and could be a more productive pro than college player as a result. He has plus athleticism that could make him a dangerous pass-catching weapon in the middle of the field. Arizona could stand to upgrade on starting tight end Maxx Williams.
Round 7, Pick 222: Trevon Hill, EDGE, Miami
I am intrigued by the idea of making Devon Kennard a full time EDGE rusher, something he has never been in the NFL. Hill gives Arizona a young pass rusher worth developing in case Kennard struggles in this role.
I may have went a little offensive line crazy, yet that is exactly what Arizona needs. The Cardinals might just field one of the best offensive attacks in the NFL in 2020 now that they have a true number one receiving threat in Hopkins. But an offense is only as good as its blocking sometimes, so adding some lineman should absolutely be a priority. Regardless of how this draft goes for Arizona, they will be a fun team to follow both now and in the future.
Written by: Daniel Hower
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