Arizona Cardinals seven-round 2020 NFL mock draft

This pick will be in response to Larry Fitzgerald most likely retiring after this season. Fitzgerald has had an incredible run with the team. The first-round draft pick in 2004 has been the face of the organization for years now.

His career with the Arizona Cardinals is the archetype of a best-case scenario when drafting a superstar wide receiver. The man accounts for 119 touchdowns and almost 17,000 yards of total offense for the Arizona Cardinals. His off the field charity work is remarkable and he will be on the Arizona Cardinals figurative Mount Rushmore forever. A whole article could be written about what a solid guy Larry Fitzgerald is.

But at 36-years-old, Fitzgerald will likely be mulling over retiring in 2020. Last season, reports surfaced that he was seriously considering it. For several seasons now Fitzgerald has come back to the Arizona Cardinals with the hope that THIS season would be different.

Last year, he signed a one-year deal to come back. Even if Fitzgerald does decide to play in 2020, the Arizona Cardinals must prepare for life without him on the field. In the 2019 NFL draft, the team drafted three wide receivers. But none of them have scored more than one touchdown so far this year. And the team’s score leader David Johnson (4 TD’s) has been vocal in being unhappy with his usage this year and is likely to leave after next season.

Jalen Reagor is a first-round talent that will most likely be available in the second round. The Arizona Cardinals would be wise to draft him early in the second round. Reagor is not a carbon copy of Fitzgerald, which is a good thing. Installing the Air Raid will require sneaky fast wide receivers, who can create separation from defenders and sell double moves. Reagor has three seasons at TCU showing he can do just that.

The TCU junior is sneaky fast. Fast as in he takes off from the line of scrimmage and a few seconds later the camera pans to him streaking down the field 20 yards away. My first reaction to his highlight reel was “How did he do that?”. My second reaction is how athletic this kid is. Reagor can survive contact before, during and after the catch. Reagor averaged 14.2 yards per reception this season, and as a rookie, he averaged 17.5 yards from 33 receptions (ESPN).

Besides being a deep threat, his tape shows a good screen pass receiver, who can’t be taken to the ground easily. Reagor also shines in contested catches, as he is surprisingly scrappy for his size when jostling defenders for the ball. Once Reagor gets into the open field is when he really shines. Reagor can turn on the jets and sprint down the field like an elite wide receiver. He’s an excellent jump ball receiver too, especially considering Reagor tops out at 5-foot-11. His combine workout will be a sight to see.

Besides being a phenomenal athlete, Reagor’s skills will work well in the Air Raid offense. One of the biggest things I noticed watching the Arizona Cardinals this year was how rare it was for Murray to find an open receiver before Defensive pressure got to him. Part of this can be explained by how often Murray has been blitzed this season. But that still doesn’t negate the fact that Arizona’s receivers have not been getting open in time for Murray to throw.

Fitzgerald has been the team’s leading receiver, but considering the number of double teams he draws, his receptions have typically been slot routes, with fewer yards after the catch than you would like to see. Fitzgerald currently ranks 57th in the NFL for Yards After the Catch (YAC) this year, according to Fox Sports.

The Arizona Cardinals still need to emphasize cornerstone positions like the offensive/defensive line. But with a player like Reagor on the team as well, the Arizona Cardinals could begin the process of throwing down the field more and give Murray a fast, athletic, young wide receiver that he can grow with.