In A Perfect World: Arizona Cardinals 7 Round Mock

This week I’ll be taking a look at specific draft needs for the 4 NFC West teams.  My objective is to find fits in each round that match team needs, as well as accurate projections for that player’s value.  My first criteria is, of course, my own opinion, because sharing and debating opinions is a big part of what this site is all about, right?  However, as a reference, I’m using Rob Rang’s overall prospect rankings from cbssports.com, as well as those of the nationalfootballpost.com, because….that’s just the kind of geek that I am.  

My only other rule here is that I will be cross-checking the mocks I’m doing for each NFC West team so I’m not projecting the same player to different teams.

And remember, check the title…. this is “In A Perfect World” so my objective here is to formulate a perfect draft day scenario for each club. 

Please, leave comments, opinions, critiques, criticisms….. and if you’re on Twitter follow me at @HawkCoug08

Here we go!!!

Round 1: (Pick #13)  David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

Few teams have had as disjointed an offseason as the Cardinals.  The entire pursuit of Peyton Manning didn’t make much sense, at least in the way they carried it out.  First, they were slow in their attempts to get under the salary cap, despite chasing a $20 million a year player, then cut their starting left tackle during the process.  Say what you want about Levi Brown, and they did re-sign him to a new deal recently….. but the instability in their offensive line certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Manning.  Fortifying this unit is a must, and while most analysts have them taking a tackle like Iowa’s Riley Reiff with this pick, DeCastro is an elite prospect, and possibly the best guard to come out of college since Steve Hutchinson in 2001.  Think OL Coach Russ Grimm might see some of himself in this guy?  Plug him in and watch him go to Pro Bowls on an annual basis.

Round 2: (No pick, trade to Philadelphia in 2011 for QB Kevin Kolb)

Think they would like to have this pick back?  The Cardinals hitched their wagon to Kolb, and while there is still a chance he becomes a solid starter in this league, John Skelton outperformed him when Kolb missed 9 games due to injuries.  I know this series is called In A Perfect World, but I’m not going to project trades.  It’s likely, however, that Arizona tries to deal down from #13 to try and recoup a pick in this round.

Round 3: (82) Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas

The search for a worthy compliment to Larry Fitzgerald at WR continues, and the fast-rising Childs might just be the answer.  At 6′ 3″ and 217 lbs, Childs posted a 4.39 40-yard dash time at the Combine.  He’s technically sound, tutored in Bobby Petrino’s pro-style system, and possesses soft hands.  Had he not suffered a serious knee injury, he may have come out after his junior season.  This year’s WR class is deep, playing right into the Cardinals hands. Pun intended.

Round 4: ( 113) Ryan Steed, CB, Furman

While the Cardinals were chasing Peyton Manning, Richard Marshall departed as a free agent, signing with Miami.  Marshall was solid last season playing opposite standout rookie Patrick Peterson, and left a void that needs to be filled in this draft.  Steed was an FCS All-American last year and stood out at the Senior Bowl against stiffer competition.  He’ll need time to develop, but shows natural ability in man and zone schemes.  May not be ready to start right away, but could play in nickle packages while he gets aclimated.

Round 5: (144)  Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State

Had Datko not suffered a shoulder injury his senior year, we may be talking about him as a first round LT prospect.  He started 12 games as a true freshman for the Seminoles, and 48 overall.  There are still questions about the stability of that shoulder, but the chance to grab a potential future starting left tackle is one worth taking for the Cardinals.  If healthy, the 6′ 6″ 315 Datko could man the right side to begin his career.

Round 6: (176)  Akiem Hicks, DT, Regina

Arizona’s starting trio of Dan Williams, Calais Campbell and Darnell Dockett are outstanding, but there isn’t much depth.  Hicks was one of hottest JUCO recruits in the country in 2009, but ended up north of the border after some issues surrounding LSU’s recruitment of him.  He has surprisingly good feet for such a massive player, checking in at 6′ 5″, 318 lbs.  He needs some time to develop, but in this situation would have the luxury of doing so.

Round 7: (206)  Chris Galippo, ILB, USC

It was tempting to type the name Vontaze Burfict here, but with Hicks and Datko already in the fold, the Cardinals have a couple of projects on their hands and need a steady, dependable player to add to their LB core.  Galippo’s lack of elite measurables have caused him to slide after failing to live up to lofty expectations at USC, where he came on board as one of the top recruits in the country.  I’ve seen him ranked everywhere from 5th round to undrafted, but the Cards would love to get a player who’s as instinctive and experienced as Galippo to finish out a strong draft class.