Arizona Cardinals 2020 mock draft: DeAndre Hopkins trade shakeup

Next up on the list of needs for the Arizona Cardinals is more help along the defensive line. They miss out on Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw in the first round, and now have to wait until the third round to make a selection. It’s a small price to pay for acquiring DeAndre Hopkins though.

Here they select Davon Hamilton. Hamilton had a very good final season for the Buckeyes, posting six sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss. His ability as a run defender is elite already with his raw power and great hand placement, and he has potential to develop as a pass rusher. He can be an elite 1-technique but can slide to 3-technique as well. Putting Hamilton in the middle will help out Chandler Jones.

Speaking of helping out Jones, finding an edge rusher to be productive opposite him is another important step for the Arizona Cardinals. Here in the fourth round, they select Alex Highsmith out of Charlotte. Highsmith was extremely productive for the 49ers in his senior season. He had 15 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, wrecking the competition in 2019. Don’t forget about his two forced fumbles either.

Highsmith has the ability to bend around the edge, and shows good hand usage to trim the edge on top of it. He may need some work with his technique at the next level, but his potential to be productive opposite Jones is high for a fourth round pick.