Draft Review: Arizona Cardinals

Bruce Matson

Editors’ Note: As part of our ongoing post-draft coverage, we’re doing our very best to leave no stone unturned and bringing you draft recaps from each and every NFL franchise. Make sure you’re ready for your dynasty league rookie draft by staying up on all these articles, checking out our rookie SWOT series, rookie draft guide, rookie rankings, rookie draft cheat sheet and mock draft rooms. There are simply no better resources out there for dynasty fantasy football enthusiasts.

Arizona finished first in the NFC West last season with a 13-3 record; the most regular season wins ever in franchise history. They were very productive on both sides of the ball, averaging 30.6 points per game on offense and only allowing 19.6 points per game on defense. The Cardinals played their way to the NFC Championship game where they were defeated by the Carolina Panthers 49-15.

The Cardinals executed one of the biggest trades of the off-season by sending guard Jonathan Cooper, who was a top-ten draft pick in 2013, and a second round pick for pro bowl defensive end Chandler Jones from the New England Patriots. This deal elevates the pass rush for the Cardinals as 35-year old Dwight Freeney was the team’s leading pass rusher last year with eight sacks. The trade also allowed the Cardinals to not reach on any pass rushers during the draft, leaving them free to draft best player available and focus less on team needs.

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cards draft

First Round – Robert Nkemdiche, DT Mississippi

Age is starting to become a concern with Calais Campbell, Frostee Rucker and Red Bryant, who will all be well into their thirties going into the season. The Cardinals needed to stockpile young talent at defensive line in order to have a smooth transition for when it’s time for the older veterans to depart from the roster. Nkemdiche was considered one of the most talented players in this draft class, but character issues and inconsistent play caused him to fall in the draft. Nonetheless, Nkemdiche is still very talented and he can help the defensive line with his relentless play and his ability to get off blocks. Since he plays on the defensive line, which is a position that is very volatile when it comes to fantasy production, he shouldn’t be considered a premium prospect in rookie drafts, but he still holds tremendous upside and he shouldn’t go undrafted in rookie drafts.

Third Round – Brandon Williams, CB Texas A&M

Williams was a five star running back prospect coming out of high school which made him a popular addition to the depth chart when he signed his letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners. After his freshman season he transferred to Texas A&M where he played running back during his sophomore and junior seasons, rushing for just 648 yards and four touchdowns. He made the switch to corner back during the off-season before his senior year where he started all thirteen games while recording 37 tackles. He’s very raw and it’s going to take time for him to get acclimated to playing corner, so it might be a few years before he owns a large market share of the team’s snaps. Due to the volatile fantasy production at the position, it’s hard to make the case to burn a draft pick on a cornerback unless you’re in a league that requires you to start them. I suggest fading him in rookie drafts because the odds of him getting enough playing time to make a difference for your team are highly unlikely.

Fourth Round – Evan Boehm, C Missouri

About 99.99 percent of fantasy leagues don’t roster offensive linemen, but that doesn’t mean this draft pick is totally irrelevant to fantasy.  Center was one of the major needs for Arizona going into the draft and Boehm is going to compete for the starting job as a rookie. David Johnson could become the main beneficiary from this draft pick if Boehm can develop quickly and become a perennial starter and help the offensive line open rushing lanes between the tackles for Johnson to run through. The fact that Arizona is burning picks to upgrade the offensive line is a good thing and should help the entire offense become more efficient.

Fifth Round – Marqui Christian, SS Midwestern State

Christian is a hard-hitting box safety who was a tackling machine in college. He was drafted to provide depth for the roster and it’s going to take a few major injuries for him to see a large amount playing time. He’s not draftable in IDP leagues but keep him on your watch list just in case Arizona’s secondary gets banged up in the near future.

Fifth Round – Cole Toner, T Harvard

This wasn’t an exciting pick for fantasy, as Toner was selected to add depth to the offensive line. He’s a Harvard grad, so of course he’s cerebral and should be able to quickly pick up the nuances of the offense. Expect him to become more valuable to the team after he gets a year of experience under his belt. Most prospects who get selected this late in the draft don’t pan out and that is something we have to keep in mind with Toner.

Sixth Round – Harlan Miller, CB Southeastern Louisiana

Miller has to impress the coaching staff during training camp if he’s going to make the 53-man roster. This selection was primarily to provide depth in secondary of the defense. He’s going to have an uphill battle to make the team and crack the starting lineup, let alone become fantasy relevant in IDP leagues.

UDFA to Watch – Hakeem Valles, TE Monmouth

The most encouraging thing about Valles is that Arizona lacks talent at tight end, which increases his chances of making the roster if he plays well during training camp. His size (6-foot-5, 260 pounds) and speed (4.63 40-yard dash) makes him an interesting prospect and if he can develop into a solid blocker and route runner he could become a waiver wire dandy in a few years.

UDFA to Watch – Jared Baker, RB Arizona

Baker rushed for 798 yards and nine touchdowns while owning a 14 percent market share of the team’s offensive production. He’s a smaller running back (5-foot-8 and 192 pounds) that has some speed as he tested with a 4.42 40-yard dash during his pro-day. Running back is currently log-jammed for the Cardinals but keep an eye out for him just in case he flashes in preseason. He’s a name to keep in mind because if he gets cut and lands in a favorable situation he could compete for carries and possibly become fantasy relevant for a short time period. I don’t recommend stashing him, even in the deepest leagues, but pay attention to him while rosters churn in late August.

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bruce matson