2020 NFL Draft: First-Round 2020 NFL mock draft with counterintuitive picks throughout

The Arizona Cardinals got their deep threat wide receiver during free agency. The team is now heading into the 2020 NFL Draft weak on the offensive line. For the second draft in a row, general manager Steve Keim will be tasked with finding offensive line help for a young quarterback who needs help.

The team gave D.J. Humphries a new contract this offseason, securing a left tackle to defend second-year quarterback Kyler Murray. While Humphries wasn’t always a dependable blocker in 2019, the Cardinals clearly feel that he is the future at left tackle, locking him down on a three-year contract.

While Keim has usually under-prioritized the offensive line in the past, it would appear that after 2019 Keim might be re-evaluating how he prioritizes the unit. The team now has 10 offensive linemen on the roster after re-signing Marcus Gilbert this past week. And while many of those players are backup-level players, it is the first time in a while the team has spent so many resources securing the offensive line.

Perhaps 2019 was a wake-up call for the front office. They drafted Murray number one overall in 2019, along with bringing in head coach Kliff Kingsbury to transplant a so-called “Air Raid Offense” into the NFL. These two were supposed to lift the Cardinals out of the basement in the NFC West and out-score opposing teams with high-flying, spread style offensive schemes.

But without dependable offensive line help during the season, Murray spent more time scurrying laterally than passing vertically. Murray showed a lot of promise during his rookie season but was never secure enough behind his blockers to let down-field plays develop. Now the team has another top 10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

They have Deandre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald as elite down-field threats now, along with other young receivers that showed promise in 2019. They have cut the cord with the David Johnson contract and are ready to show the world the Kingsbury offense in 2020 as it was meant to be played.

Adding an elite right tackle to the team would secure a great offense and give Murray one more layer of protection in 2020. Jedrick Wills Jr. from the Alabama Crimson Tide showed over the last three seasons to be a quality blocker on the offensive line and looks ready to take the next step in the NFL.

Measuring in at the Combine at 6-foot-4, 312 pounds, Wills is a little shorter than the average NFL tackle. But he makes up for it with his strong, athletic body that is surprisingly nimble and his twitchy, fast-moving feet. His NFL.com Profile has him compared to Jason Peters and it says “…his leverage and elite transference of power from hips to his hands provide a big advantage as a body mover at the point of attack”.

Wills would be a welcome sight on the offensive line. Keeping Murray clean in the backfield and leading the way in blocking on designed quarterback run plays will be a key part of the Murray offense heading into this season.

An NFC West team has gone to the Super Bowl two years in a row now, on the back of dynamic offenses. If the Cardinals hope to clone the experience for the third season in a row, they will need to keep Murray upright and clean in the pocket.