Arizona Cardinals |
On the clock: Indianapolis Colts, Pick: 7.48 |
| Pick | Overall | Choice | Notes | |
| 1.07 | 7 | Lane Johnson, OT from Oklahoma | We balked twice at moving up in this draft knowing that one of our three targets (Johnson, Warmack and Mingo) would be here. Our gamble paid off handsomely as we decided to go with Lane Johnson. Levi Brown will now shift to the right side and we'll kick Massie inside. Massie's play was dramatically improved the last half of the season which is why we thought long and hard about taking Warmack. We love Johnson's athleticism and size. He's 6'6" and 303 pounds but still has some room to add another 10 pounds or so. He keeps his feet moving and has very good balance. He comes ready to play and has no durability issues. A better pass protector than run blocker which is what we need. Palmer needs to stay upright this year for the Cardinals to have success in the difficult NFC West. | |
| 2.06 | 38 | Kevin Minter, ILB from LSU | Kevin Minter addresses a big need for us a the strongside inside (SILB) position. He has great hands. He finishes tackles and takes the proper angle to make the play. He's a proven run stopper and that is key in a division that includes Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch and ..... Isaiah Pead? Well, two out of three anyway. He does well in coverage and can stick with most TEs. He wants to spin away from blockers rather than taking them on so we'll see how that translates to the next level. Either way, we are happy to have him along side Daryl Washington for the next few years. His presence becomes extremely important right away with Washington facing a four game suspension. | |
| 3.01 | 63 | Jamie Collins, OLB from Southern Mississippi | Well we traded up to 3.01 to take Justin Pugh but Baltimore picked him right before our pick. We decided to go with Jamie Collins, an explosive edge rusher to play OLB in our 3-4 defense. Collins is a former safety the brings versatility to our front seven with the ability to drop into coverage and also rush off the edge on 3rd down. We are excited to add Collins to our roster and the many talents he brings to us on the defensive side of the ball. | |
| 4.06 | 103 | Montee Ball, RB from Wisconsin | We lose our RG for the second time in as many rounds. Both times I've had the write up done. We lost Justin Pugh right before our pick in the third and lose Brian Winters here. Very disappointing. However, we are thrilled to land Montee Ball here. Solid, solid value in the 4th when most have a 2nd or high 3rd round grade on him. Arians likes backs who can play all three downs. Ball is an underrated receiver because he wasn't utilized in that fashion much. He has very good balance and can spin out of arm tackles so he needs to be wrapped up. Top end speed isn't the best but it is serviceable. Mendenhall has a history of injuries and don't get me started on Ryan Williams. Powell and Smith are never going to start or be a feature back. We only have Mendenhall for year and Ball just has too much value here to pass on. | |
| 6.05 | 173 | Mike Catapano, DE from Princeton | We gambled and traded down but gained back our 6th along with another 6th. We wanted to add some pass rushing depth along the defensive line and felt that Mike Catapano was our guy. He has above average speed and strength and is overshadowed because he went to an Ivy league school. He has a very strong work ethic and is just a flat out football player. He loves the game. He never backs down and can be a very disruptive player. He projects more as an OLB in at 3-4 but can also be an effective end in the same scheme. We are thrilled to get a pass rusher of Catapano's ability at this point in the draft. | |
| 6.08 | 176 | Rontez Miles, S from California (PA) | We are finally able to address some depth at the safety position. Miles is a FS which is more of an area of need for us. He's a small school prospect that transferred to California (PA) from Kent St. He isn't blessed with top end speed but it's serviceable. His family life sucked and maybe he thinks about that when he delivers a hit. He can bring it but he will need to be coached up. |
| Pick | |
|---|---|
| 6.08 | NFL: from Vikings for AJ Jefferson |
| 7.13 | NFL: from Raiders for QB Carson Palmer |
| 3.01 | #MockSix: from Chiefs for pick(s): 3.07,6.06 |
| 6.05 | #MockSix: from 49ers for pick(s): 5.07,7.13 |
| 6.08 | #MockSix: from 49ers for pick(s): 5.07,7.13 from Raiders for pick(s): 1.31 |
