With the first round of the NFL Draft in the books, the Arizona Cardinals are trying to patch together a team that can compete in the vaunted NFC West. What are their biggest team needs these final two days, and which targets might be most appealing for a franchise attempting to right the ship?
Arizona Cardinals Team Needs Following Round 1
- WR
- EDGE
- IDL
- CB
The Cardinals hold eight picks in this year’s NFL Draft, including five of the first 105. It’s a solid haul for a team with a lot of work to do, and, of course, reflects the results of (perhaps) this franchise’s most surprisingly disappointing season ever.
It’s all the more surprising given what happened exactly a year ago, as Arizona landed Marquise Brown, pairing him with DeAndre Hopkins to form a seemingly strong WR duo. Along with the ascending Rondale Moore and reliable Zach Ertz, Kyler Murray and this offense seemingly had enough firepower to compete.
But all four guys went on to miss a combined 29 games. Hopkins is entering his age-31 season and might be a cut candidate if the team can’t trade him. Ertz will turn 33 in November, and Brown is coming off a campaign where he didn’t score in his final seven contests.
MORE: FREE NFL Mock Draft Simulator (With Trades)
Heading into this year’s draft, asking what the Cardinals don’t need might provide a quicker answer. Safety and linebacker are the only two position groups on defense that aren’t absolute necessities to address. Arizona needs EDGE and DT help on top of their desperate need at CB.
They could improve at both guard spots, and each of their tackles is over 30. A backfield led by the aging and often injured James Conner presents more of a “win-now” than “win-later” situation. The problem is, there’s only the narrowest path to “winning now.”
As alluded to above, Arizona also could use receiver help, though an increased role for TE Trey McBride might be in the cards (pun intended).
Results for Cardinals 2023 Draft Pick
We used PFN’s FREE Mock Draft Simulator to project some realistic targets for Arizona at each of their draft positions. Here’s a breakdown of the Round 1 results, as well as the Simulator’s remaining projections.
Round 1, Pick 6: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
It didn’t take long for the Cardinals and Texans to engineer the first trade of the draft’s opening night. Perhaps Houston’s decision to draft C.J. Stroud at No. 2 gave Arizona (previously at No. 3) more confidence that their top target would still be on the board at No. 12. But then something happened, and they traded back up (with the Lions) to secure No. 6.
MORE: Arizona Cardinals NFL Draft Grades 2023
Since the Bears (No. 10) and Titans (No. 11) selected OTs, we might conclude that Arizona played the trading game beautifully. They picked up major draft capital, essentially swapping a fourth- and fifth-rounder for a third-rounder this year, plus adding (I still can’t believe it) a first- and third-rounder next year. Since those first- and third-rounders belonged to Houston, it’s awe-inspiring that the Cards might have just landed a likely top-10 2024 pick.
Anyway, Arizona still got their guy and the top offensive lineman in the draft. Paris Johnson Jr. is NFL-ready and should be an OL anchor for years to come.
Predictions for Remaining 2023 Draft Picks
Round 2, Pick 33: O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida
O’Cyrus Torrence reportedly never gave up a sack during his collegiate career. Playing in the fearsome SEC, that’s quite an accomplishment. Torrence would serve as an immediate upgrade at guard.
Round 3, Pick 66: Ivan Pace Jr., LB, Cincinnati
PFN’s MDS appears to be rotating through positions for Arizona, trying to fill as many urgent needs as possible early in the draft. While Ivan Pace Jr. might or might not be a Day 1 starter in the NFL, he could be a strong depth piece with a solid developmental ceiling.
Round 3, Pick 81: Jaelyn Duncan, OT, Maryland
More offensive line help. Arizona quarterbacks were sacked 46 times last season, tied for ninth-most in the league. Jaelyn Duncan might be another developmental piece. Regardless, it would make sense for Arizona to land two linemen with their first four or five picks.
Round 3, Pick 96: Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford
Is Murray the long-term answer in Arizona? Well, that question might be moot, given his long-term contract security. However, he’s missed nine games these past two seasons, and perhaps modest durability concerns will compel the Cards to take a chance on a mid-round backup.
Tanner McKee will be a 23-year-old rookie with only a decent college football track record. But the former Alabama recruit (he attended Stanford instead) might have some long-term upside.
Round 6, Pick 180: Andrei Iosivas, WR, Princeton
We should expect this team to select at least one receiver in anticipation of what might be a relatively tumultuous training camp (with respect to Hopkins’ status). Andrei Iosivas runs a solid 4.43 40-yard dash with a 6’3″ frame. He could eventually turn into a No. 4 or No. 5 receiver in a top-heavy receiving corps.
Round 6, Pick 213: Viliami Fehoko, EDGE, San Jose State
Viliami Fehoko is one more EDGE player for the road. We might also consider the possibility that Arizona packages both of their sixth-round picks to move up eight to 10 spots if they have their eyes on a potential diamond-in-the-rough 2023 contributor.
