Fowler is a top 32 player, but not a top 10 player which means he should be involved in any mid to late round discussion. I get what you are saying, but he is not head and shoulders above the 11-32 ranked players.
Calhoun could be a fit because the Cardinals may like his natural rush ability, can feel they can develop the physical aspect of his game while they still have Matt Shaughnessy under contract. It is tough to tell right now where this tier of hybrid DE/OLB will fall right now though. Orchard is in the same boat.
I don't know about Collins flying up boards as draft boards aren't set yet by teams. I know there are varying opinions on Collins, and that some see him as a LT, some a RT, some a RT/OG, and some an OG only, How he is viewed and by what teams will determine where he falls in regards to draft position. I'm pretty confident that the majority of scouts view him as a RT/OG player which will land him in the top 45 somewhere. I don't know how anything more definitive can be said at this time.
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Im not saying Fowler is a top 10, but hes easy teens, kind of like Shazier. Should also point out several guys we expect to be in the 1st (and thus push talent further down the board) have not declared for the draft yet. It happens every year, a couple 1st rounders stay in school and it makes the draft a smidge thinner.
Collins is most definitely 100% flying up draft boards. This im positive of. Im a draft hound so I read all the different sites to get different angles, and Collins is #2 (behind Shane Ray) on the buzz-o-meter. Scouts love him for the most part. A lot of the ‘top Ts’ are slipping a little. Some feel Andrus Peat is soft. Cedric Ogbuehi’s technique is lacking. Brandon Scherff (who I love. Absolutle MONSTA) would be a all-pro guard (not T). And so that leaves solid talents like Collins , Stanley, this Flowers kid I need to read more about and Sambrailo. Of all of them Collins and Stanley are my 2 favs and Id take either in the 1st in a heart beat. Either can be great T’s, or pro bowl Guards.
In either case I can see more top tier FAs gravitating to AZ because of the coaching staff instead of using it as a bargaining chip to get a better deal elsewhere. I think those days are done. At least 2 positions will be better with FA signing which will alter the draft board for the Cardinals. Say the Cardinals sign a OG and an ILB, then does a OLB pass rusher move to the top of the list? What if they can't sign Fitz to a restructured contract? Does a WR move up the draft board? Floyd doesn't exactly instill confidence he can slide into the spot Fitz is in now. If they sign a pass rusher how does that affect the draft board? What becomes the #1 priority?
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Pass rusher is already at the top of the list. G and ILB are secondary needs, IMO, by far. And lets not forget Dwashs fate is still unknown. He comes back, and all of a sudden we are solid at ILB. So you never know.
As for TE, we had a deep stable of Tes this year, and we didn’t use any of them. No point in burning picks or FA money on them.
There will be normal turnover as weve seen the last 2 years with the Keim regime. Guy has no mercy. Lots of cuts. Lots of signings. I expect a “Cardinal decision” to come down on DD’s head, unfortunately.
We wont be big players in FA. Last year we spent on Veldheer because he was a dire need. This year, pass rusher and QB are our only BIG needs. And there are no FA pass rushers besides Houston, who should get tagged.
and not to be left out of any opportunities for mock drafts...This based on how I think we handle free agency and our cap.
1-Shilique Calhoun - OLB/DE - Michigan St.
*Natural edge rusher who may fall due to deep draft class. Needs to be better in physical part of the game. With Shaughnessy on the roster the Cards can use him as a sub package player right away and allow him to develop in a pro weight room.
2-Ty Montgomery - WR/KR - Stanford
*Vertical wide receiver who brings return ability. Not as quick out of breaks, and is a top end #2 WR. Similar player to Michael Floyd, and would provide roster depth if the Cards need to move on from Fitzgerald or Floyd. Essentially is the player they wanted when they signed Tedd Ginn at a much lower cost.
3-Steven Nelson - CB - Oregon St.
*Physical, press-man corner. Not great size or speed, but has experience playing on an island vs good passing attacks in the Pac 12.
4-David Cobb - RB - Minnesota
*Physical RB who can provide more of a power rushing element than Taylor looks to be able to. Limited experience in the passing game, but should be able to develop. Deep RB class and a devalued position pushes him down a bit.
5-Taijan Jones - ILB - Michigan St.
*Physical ILB who has a history of making plays and blitzing. Nice size in the middle to complement our WILB and has enough athelticism to potentially stay on the field in passing downs. can play special teams.
6-Shaquille Riddick - OLB - West Virginia
*More of an athlete than a positional player, similar to Aaron Lynch drafted by the 49ers last year. Didn't make much of an impact in college other than this year, but is a player who can be developed. Good size/speed and could be a special teams player at worst.
7-Nick Boyle - TE - Delaware
*Physically imposing TE whi brings a little to the passing game. Not from a large school so the adjustment to the professional game may be tough. Hard to project 7th round guys, but he would fit a need with a bit of upside.
Ill take him, but I just do not think Calhoun can possibly be the BPA when we choose. Say he or Erik Kendricks was sitting there. Id most certainly take kendricks. And moreover, Id expect Orchard to also be there, because I value him much higher than most. Call it a reach, but I really, really like Nate Orchard.Hes worth our 1st in order to get him, IMO. A lot of people had Bucannon as a high 2nd, but we would’ve never got him had we passed, which is why we reached a little in the 1st, and hes turned into a great pick.
That’s funny, I also had Cobb in my mock prior to changing it. Good choice, big bruiser. An electric RB I like is Tevin Coleman, not that we'll take him.
I agree we need a WR since Fitz days are numbered, but given the talent in this draft, Id prefer to take a bigger ‘need-BPA’ shot with our 2nd rounder. Specifically T, pass rusher, QB, CB or G.
Also, a mid round WR I like is Austin Hill. Guy was a game wrecker prior to his injury, and by the time we get him, he will be 2 years removed and back to form. Hes comparable size, speed and physicality to Montgomery.
I need to research Nelson, youre getting obscure with personal favs that not everyone recognizes. For example, I like Clemsons ILB Stephone Anthony, and I realize Im probably the only one.
However, another CB I do REALLY like…Richard Sherman Jr, IMO…Alex Carter. Stanford man and everything. Best technician in the country which makes up for his sup par speed. Although my absolute fav is Senquez Golson. Only 5’8 but hes lockdown.
You took no Oline. FEED THE LINE! I don’t care if its 6th-7th rounders. Always feed the line.
plus I fantasize about the Hulk at RT because we have an even better option at LT. 
) so I'm not sure Carlson is still held in high regard. It could also be that Fells is the best blocker and with our QB woes and the focus on the run game Fells is a better option on earlier downs.
