Mock Draft Rebuild Series: Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals are in a spot where the entire franchise can change its look in a single draft class. Kyler Murray at the helm has long been a point of contention. Is he truly dedicated to the NFL and the game of football? Is he good enough to be the franchise guy? Johnathan Gannon was hired on in Arizona after the Philadelphia Eagles lost in the Super Bowl two seasons ago. He went 4-13 in his first season with a ton of injuries to his roster. Now the Cardinals sit moving into the 2024 Draft with 6 draft picks in the top 100, and 11 total picks. They could draft Kyler’s replacement at the #4 overall pick, or they could gear up the offense, and replace him next season if he is not the guy. With the departures of Hollywood Brown and Rondale Moore, they will likely take address Wide Receiver multiple times within their top 100 picks.

As always, we will be using the PFF (Pro Football Focus) Mock Draft Simulator to assist us in this draft, as well as any PFF rankings that come with the upcoming class of rookies. Lets begin:

Round 1

The Cardinals have two first round picks, at #4 and #27. The Interior of the Offensive Line is going to be a huge need for the Cardinals, but their first pick isn’t the place to take someone yet. Wide Receiver seems like the most obvious choice at this spot, and it is all dependent upon who gets drafted before they pick. With all 3 teams above them needing Quarterbacks, it is likely that they will have their pick of the litter at the position.

Pick 4

Pick: Marvin Harrison Jr, Wide Receiver, Ohio State

• Considered by many to be the best Wide Receiver prospect in years, Marvin Harrison Jr., the son of NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, seems to be able to do it all. At 6’4, 205 lbs, Harrison was one of the best players in college football for the last two seasons. In two seasons as starter for the Buckeyes, he had over 2400 yards, 28 touchdowns, and was graded near the 99th percentile for his receiving grade. Harrison has an amazing level of football IQ as well, making him capable of starting, contributing, and succeeding very early in his NFL career. The Cardinals could also go Malik Nabers here as well, but Harrison has been projected to them all season. The Cardinals will get a perennial All-pro caliber player with Harrison.

Pick 27

Pick: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Cornerback, Alabama

• With Sean Murphy-Bunting and Garrett Williams as the starting Cornerbacks for the Cardinals right now, this seems like another obvious position that needs to be addressed. Kool-Aid McKinstry is one of the most football savy players in this draft. McKinstry is a better zone coverage defender vs man coverage, but he is stellar at both. McKinstry isn’t the best athlete in this draft, and he doesn’t have elite stop and start ability, but he is incredibly smooth for the Cornerback position. What McKinstry has that NFL teams will love, is that he does not get rattled. The moment never seems to big for him and he is always calm in his play. This is a skill that cannot be measured, and will help him immensely at the next level. Kool-Aid McKinstry will make an excellent player for the Cardinals next season.

Round 2, Pick 35

Offensive Line would be a good spot here for the Cardinals, with names such as Jackson Powers-Johnson and Zach Frazier being good names at the Center position. Christian Haynes might be a bit of a reach at Guard, and there are some Tackles who have played Guard at times in their career in this class. However, I believe the Cardinals could double dip, and go back to the defensive secondary again, to make it younger and brighter for the future.

Pick: T.J. Tampa, Cornerback, Iowa State

• Going Cornerback in consecutive, high round picks might be a bit unorthodox, but hear me out. The Cardinals are incredibly weak at Corner as it is, and adding multiple players in the draft was likely from the start. With different options available here at 35, it is all about who falls and who doesn’t. T.J. Tampa is a guy that brings good size to the Cornerback position, standing at 6’2, 200 lbs. Tampa ranked in the 98th percentile for forced incompletions during his time in college, making him a near lock down Cornerback. While he can still improve his footwork, and needs to get better at tackling, there is enough here to warrant a high draft pick on the potential. Tampa and McKinstry would be a scary duo for years to come.

Round 3

The Cardinals have 3 third round picks in the 2024 draft, selection #66, #71, and #90. The Offensive side of the ball needs to be addressed here. Mainly Offensive Line, but I can also see the Cardinals going back to Wide Receiver here if the right guy falls.

Pick 66

Pick: Kiran Amegadjie, Tackle, Yale

• Kiran Amegadjie is currently an FCS player, and that can be a big jump going from FCS to the NFL level. Amegadjie has played Left Tackle for the last two seasons, though he played Guard before that, and that is likely where the Cardinals would move him to. At 6’5, 318 lbs, that puts him right near the average size for all NFL lineman. Amegadjie has allowed 0 sacks the last two seasons, and is a phenomenal run blocker. The adjustment from FCS to the NFL will be huge, but Amegadjie seems capable of making that leap and making an impact early.

Pick 71

Pick: Xavier Legette, Wide Receiver, South Carolina

• Drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. in the first round is a great start for the Cardinals as they give Kyler Murray more weapons, but that cannot be it. Adding a guy like Legette in the 3rd round can really propel this offense to another level. Legette was the primary option for South Carolina last year for the first time, and it paid off. 71 receptions, 1255 yards, and 7 touchdowns make Legette a real target in the first 3 rounds of the NFL draft. While Legette is physically imposing, standing at 6’3, 227 lbs, he does not have the end line speed of some of the Receivers in this draft. Coming into Arizona, he won’t be the primary option, which is where he can succeed. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride will complete a very young, very good trio of threats for the Cardinals.

Pick 90

Pick: Mason McCormick, Guard, South Dakota State

• Mason McCormick, much like Kiran Amegadjie, comes from an FCS School, where making the jump to the NFL can be a bit tricky. McCormick has only played Left Guard for the Jackrabbits, and he has done a masterful job. Near the 99th percentile in all major Offensive Lineman stats, McCormick also graded out as the 2nd best Guard in all of college football last season. Bringing in two guys that can play guard will be nice for the Cardinals, especially since the interior of the Offensive Line was so bad last season.

Round 4, Pick 104

Addressing the defensive side of the ball is always a recipe for success for NFL teams, and the Cardinals have enough significant draft picks to continue to hit on guys in the later rounds.

Pick: Calen Bullock, Safety, USC

• Bullock is a guy that likely won’t start, or see significant time on the defensive side of the ball early in his career. He simply lacks the strength to keep up with and maintain himself against the larger bodies of the NFL. Bullock does exceed expectations in his coverage abilities, and that can make him an asset. He also has the body type to move down to a slot Cornerback role in the right defense, but his home is as a single high Safety. Bullock graded near the 90th percentile as a coverage Safety. If he can get a little bigger and stronger, he has the coverage capabilities to make for a lasting defender in the NFL.

Round 5

The Cardinals have two 5th round selections, where they will be looking for players that might have had a 3rd to 4th round projection that have fallen, or for a guy that they can take a chance on.

Pick 138

Pick: McKinnley Jackson, Defensive Line, Texas A&M

• McKinnley Jackson is a guy that has the potential to have his name called before this point come NFL draft time. Primarily a B gap defender, Jackson grades very well, near the 80th Percentile in both pass rush grades and run defense grades. Last season he totaled 4 sacks, 2 QB hits, and 8 QB hurries in 228 pass rush snaps. Jackson isn’t going to over power many Offensive Lineman, and his speed isn’t one of elite levels. Jackson does have elite quickness off of the ball, which gives him the edge over many Offensive lineman that he faced last year. In the right spot, McKinnley Jackson can become a very good rotational defender for an NFL squad.

Pick 162

Pick: Erick All, Tight End, Iowa

• The Cardinals currently have Trey McBride on the roster, who took the league by storm last season with his level of play. Erick All isn’t the best run blocking Tight End, and this will hurt his draft stock, but he is a very fluid route runner and has very good possession skills. Erick All is likely a Day 3 or undrafted free agent type player. He does possess good receiving capabilities, and in the right system, he can be deadly with two Tight End sets, making defenses stress on who they are going to cover.

Round 6, Pick 186

The Cardinals benefit from having a lot of picks in this draft, meaning they can address a lot of depth concerns in the later rounds with players who will not count against the cap.

Pick: Solomon Byrd, Edge, USC

• Byrd is a bit undersized for the Edge rusher position in the NFL, standing only at 6’3, 250 lbs. Despite that, last season for the Trojans, he was very successful, totaling 7 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 22 QB hurries. Byrd also graded out as the 74th best Edge rusher out of 836 players. Byrd brings enough success and experience into his situation to give NFL teams hope, and a belief that he can be a good rotational pass rusher. NFL teams will be chomping at the bit to get a guy like Byrd in the later rounds of the NFL draft.

Round 7, Pick 226

Their final selection comes in the 7th round, and the Cardinals have the potential to fill most, if not all, of their needs in this draft. The Cardinals will have the potential to make the playoffs as a wildcard team next year if this draft is successful.

Pick: Dylan McMahon, Center, North Carolina State

• Dylan McMahon played Center last season for the Wolf Pack, but he also has extensive playing time at both Guard positions as well. McMahon is the type of player NFL teams want in the later rounds: versatile. McMahon can become a rotational, depth player for the Cardinals on the interior of the Offensive Line, and he can start a game or two if need be.

The Arizona Cardinals were not good last year, and a lot of that was due to injuries and inconsistencies by a lot of players who are no longer there. The Cardinals can turn the corner with Coach Gannon, and embrace a youth movement with this many draft picks. I expect the Cardinals to nearly double their win total for next year, and they should be on the cusp on making the playoffs in the 2024 NFL season. Next up in the NFC West: The Los Angeles Rams.