Arizona Cardinals 7-round 2020 NFL mock draft: Building a strong offense
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. WR. 2. LSU. Justin Jefferson. player. 817
The Cardinals passed on wide receiver in the first round, but with the depth at the position, they are still able to find a dynamic pass catcher in the second. Justin Jefferson exploded onto the scene this season, hauling in 111 receptions for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns for LSU. He is a smooth and precise route runner who can consistently win against man coverage and finds space against zone.
He has some nice deep speed and tracks the ball in the air extremely well. Jefferson also does a great job of controlling his body in the air and is an impressive contested-catch receiver. He is a strong overall jump-ball receiver and has plenty of exciting upside as a playmaker with the ball in his hands.
Jefferson is a dynamic wide receiver prospect who could come in and make an immediate impact for the Cardinals. Arizona needs to find more playmakers for Murray to work with and Jefferson would have a chance to come in and be a legitimate number one guy for this team.
LSU. Clyde Edwards-Helaire. 3. Scouting Report. RB. 817. Pick Analysis. player
The Arizona Cardinals still have David Johnson on the roster and Kenyan Drake exploded into a dynamic playmaker for the team down the stretch in 2019. Running back is not a major need for this team, but Clyde Edwards-Helaire is too exciting of a fit to pass up here in the third round. This pick would likely be paired with a trade of Johnson, giving the Cardinals an exciting running back duo of Drake and Edwards-Helaire to build around.
Edwards-Helaire is one of my favorite backs in the 2020 NFL draft class and has obvious upside at the next level. He shows impressive ball carrier vision and great natural instincts with the ball in his hands. CEH works through traffic in the middle of the field extremely well and has a knack making defenders miss in space.
His combination of quickness and power are particularly impressive. Edwards-Helaire is a naturally elusive back who also shows plenty of power at the point of attack and impressive contact balance. Perhaps most importantly, he is also a strong pass-catcher out of the backfield. This guy always seems to get open, consistently catches the ball away from his body and shows impressive run after catch ability.
In the Cardinals’ offense, Edwards-Helaire would quickly become an exciting playmaker as both a runner and receiver out of the backfield. He would be a fantastic fit for their wide-open offensive attack.