Arizona Cardinals: Four-round 2019 NFL mock draft

Right now the Arizona Cardinals look like the early favorites for the #1 pick in the 2019 NFL draft. It shouldn’t be a big surprise despite what some people think.

This team was basically cut off at the head this past offseason. Not only did they lose their head coach Bruce Arians to retirement, but also their quarterback Carson Palmer. It’s almost impossible to overcome two huge losses like that and have success. Nevermind the fact that their best player for so long has finally appeared to run out of steam after a Hall of Fame career.

So looking ahead to next year, presuming the Cardinals do end up atop the draft board, how could things play out for them early? Here’s one scenario.

1st Round

Right now the Cardinals are projected to hold the #1 overall pick. They don’t need a quarterback with Josh Rosen in place. So they should be free to go after the best player available. How can they possibly ignore the chance to pair Nick Bosa with Chandler Jones on their defensive line? Bosa has already looked much better as a pass rusher this year for Ohio State than he did in 2017. Some are saying that he might have more pure talent than his brother Joey, who’s a Pro Bowler. That says a lot. There’s no doubt the Cardinals defense could be dangerous with that sort of edge rush.

2nd Round

Arizona knows that Rosen is their future and enhancing his chances for success must be their top priority. That means continued investment in his protection, which hasn’t been the greatest thus far. Both the left and right tackle positions aren’t what one might call settled at this point. That would open the door for someone like Andre Dillard to steal a starting job. The Washington State tackle has the desired size and length for the NFL combined with good quickness to handle speed in pass protection. For a team that will want to throw the ball, this is their kind of guy.

3rd Round

It’s rather fitting with this pick. The Cardinals have needed a genuine receiving threat at tight end for some time now. Caleb Wilson has that coveted mix of good size, quickness off the line and an ability to run sharp routes to get himself open. He also has a strong pair of hands. Nobody knows this better than Rosen himself. After all, he and Wilson had a lot of success together at UCLA. Reuniting them makes plenty of sense since they’ll already have established chemistry.

4th Round

The offensive investments continue. It’s looking more and more like Larry Fitzgerald is indeed done after this year. His once shining presence just isn’t there anymore. The Cardinals need fresh blood at wide receiver. Christian Kirk was a good start towards that end, but it will take more before Rosen is properly armed. Jamarius Way has been making a lot of noise down at South Alabama. Not only does he possess good size at 6’3, but he’s also faster than he initially comes off. Combined with Kirk, that could make for a good blending of different talents.