ARIZONA — It’s mock draft season, and the Arizona Cardinals have plenty of options when it comes to their two first-round picks.
It feels like all available options should be on the board. The Cardinals finished 4-13 last season and there’s simply too many holes on the roster to really focus on one or two positions.
But – all options shouldn’t actually be considered.
CBS Sports recently released a two-round mock draft, a window where Arizona would make a total of three selections.
That’s a very real possibility, but Arizona’s pick at No. 4 was a bit surprising in Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner.
“After seeing the Texans pick eventual Defensive Rookie of the Year Will Anderson from Alabama after trading with Arizona, the Cardinals get Anderson’s former teammate to be the No. 1 outside rusher in the desert,” wrote Chris Trapasso.
Turner himself is considered one of the top edge-rushers in the draft, and Arizona surely needs help in that department, though him going at No. 4 is considered a stretch with elite prospects at other positions still available.
You truly can’t count anything out in the NFL – let alone the draft – and so Arizona’s first pick isn’t a hysterically laughable stretch.
Their second pick in the first round is a different conversation.
Thanks to their trade with the Houston Texans, Arizona also owns the No. 27 pick, and Trapasso pegged the Cardinals to select Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.
“The Cardinals aren’t ready to move on from Kyler Murray, but Nix represents good value here if for nothing else beyond the fact that he’s a quarterback,” he said for his analysis of the pick.
No. Nope. Absolutely not.
Opinions are very much split on Kyler Murray – but what can’t be argued is the Cardinals have much more pressing needs than to draft a quarterback with the No. 27 overall pick.
Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort has proved in the short time he’s had control of the franchise that he’s willing to do what’s right for the organization, and perhaps there’s an alternate timeline where the Cardinals would entertain this option.
Not this one, though.
“Value” is cited for the pick – but other teams who are interested in targeting a quarterback would also see the value in Nix being available, providing a perfect opportunity for a trade.
Also, if Arizona wanted to take a quarterback, wouldn’t they grab QB3 and highly touted passer Drake Maye with their first pick?
Welcome to mock draft season.
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