Mel Kiper, Jr. unveiled his first mock draft on Tuesday and went with offense for each of the Cardinals’ picks.
At No. 4, it was elite wide receiver prospect Marvin Harrison, Jr., and at No. 27, it was Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton.
This jibes with my thinking. The more I assess the draft, the more it feels like the first round could be offense-heavy for Arizona.
The Cardinals’ first selection seems almost certain to be a wide receiver or offensive tackle, based on the quality of players available at No. 4 (or even in a trade-down scenario).
The 27th pick is more of a wild card, but based on the Cardinals’ gaping hole at tackle opposite Paris Johnson, combined with the strength of the prospect pool, it feels like Guyton or another OT will be heavily considered.
I broke down the financial and team-building ramifications of cutting D.J. Humphries this offseason, which seems likely after his unfortunate ACL tear against the Eagles.https://t.co/95X8T5x3UX
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) January 3, 2024
Which brings me to this: it’s imperative for the Cardinals to add a blue-chip defender this offseason so that side of the ball doesn’t short-circuit hopes of a 2024 turnaround.
GM Monti Ossenfort spent all of last season stripping the Cardinals down to the studs, and that was 100% the right decision. Now it’s time to add some foundational pieces.
The Cardinals finished last in the NFL in defensive efficiency in 2023, and the personnel was clearly the issue, as the coaching was fine.
Arizona needs talent upgrades at the three premium positions – edge rusher, cornerback and defensive tackle – and has the cap space to make it happen.
It’s sometimes a gamble to pay big money on the open market, but this year there is an intriguing crop of potential free agents:
- Edge Brian Burns
- Edge Josh Allen
- Edge Danielle Hunter
- DT Chris Jones
- DT Justin Madubuike
- DT Christian Wilkins
- CB Jaylon Johnson
- CB L’Jarius Sneed
Many of these guys could get franchise-tagged, but no one knows exactly how each scenario will play out. And even if most get tagged, trades can still happen, and the Cardinals have plenty of draft capital to be aggressive.
Someone like Burns, who is only 25 years old, would be absolutely perfect. He would cost a ton of salary cap and draft resources, but an elite player at a premium position is someone who I’d pull the trigger on if he comes available.
The Panthers have thus far been reluctant to trade him, but, hey, another new regime will be in place this year, so it’s certainly worth the overture.
The Cardinals have three solid veterans on defense in safety Budda Baker, safety Jalen Thompson and inside linebacker Kyzir White. The rookie class did some good things, as cornerback Garrett Williams, edge B.J. Ojulari and defensive tackle Dante Stills should contribute nicely next season.
But a star edge rusher or a star cornerback can impact the game by themselves, and the Cardinals don’t have either one.
This is not time to throw big money at 32-year-old players, because the competitive window is still ramping up.
But it is time to get more aggressive, and adding an elite defensive player in his prime should be the move during free agency.
