Every player has been mocked to every team in every possible scenario. We’ve had every poassible trade up or trade down mocked. We have reached NFL Draft singularity.
Just hours away from the actual NFL Draft, where I’ll be reacting live to every single pick with Donovan McNabb during our Fox Sports 910 NFL Draft Show from the CAZ Sports Bar at Casino Arizona, here is my final draft board for the Arizona Cardinals at #23.
And here's my list of the top trade up candidates for the Cardinals.
5. Zion Johnson/Kenyon Green
- I’m cheating a bit but interior offensive lineman are so anonymous it feels like they are interchangeable to the untrained eye. Would a guard at #23 immediately upgrade the Cardinals offensive line? Yes. Does it help solve a long term problem? Yes. Does it make Kyler Murray better? Yes. Is it the most boring draft night and rookie season experience for a fan and the media? Yes.
4. George Karlaftis
- You’ve won Mock Draft Land. The single player most frequently mocked to the Cardinals is the Purdue pass rusher. He’s 2nd in the draft class in hurries and QB hits, tested well athletically and even loves to do football guy stuff like run his 40 yard dash time in sub freezing outdoor conditions. George Karlaftis not only sounds like someone Steve Keim would draft, he sounds like someone Steve Keim would try to adopt.
3. Christian Dawkins
- He’s 6’4, ran a sub 4.4 40 and put up big numbers at North Dakota State. The Bison football program has produced two top 5 QB’s in the last 5 years and a second round OL, far from a hole in the wall college program. In fact, the only issue with Watson is NDSU might not be small enough for Steve Keim to feel like he’s scratching his small school itch.
2. Jahan Dotson
- Everyone who watches or evaluates Dotson says the same things: catches everything, great routes, can play all over the field. Sounds good to me. If he were an inch or two taller, he’d likely be the WR1. Size has never stopped the Cardinals from drafting a player high before and it shouldn’t if Dotson is still on the board at #23.
1. George Pickens
- The biggest home run swing of the possible wide receivers in round 1. He’s less of a sure thing than any other WR on this list but he’s also the biggest payoff if you get it right. With DeAndre Hopkins and AJ Green in his ear, I think Pickens chance of shedding his immature label and thriving as the freak 6’3 athlete at WR he is goes way up.