A: The Cardinals First 3 Picks

[Pariah]

Q: What is Patrick Peterson, CB, Martez Wilson, ILB and Sam Acho, OLB?

Add a veteran QB in the mix and we're off!

 

[SuperSpck]

That'd be intensely nice, but Wilson's got a lot of juice and would likely not be around in the second round. If it does happen we have to wonder how the interior run defense would hold up. Neither he nor Washington are great at wading through garbage, but the ability to disguise coverages would be very cool.
I like Acho a lot as a rotational rusher and Peterson's a tremendous prospect.

Unrelated, if AJ Green is available should the Cardinals pull a Denny and draft him?

 

[joeshmo]

Martez while has the size for SILB he doesnt not have the mentality or the game to play SILB IMO. His game resembles more of Dansby's then it does a Hayes.

You would also probably have to take Acho in the 2nd, but crazier things have happened.

 

[Duckjake]

That'd be intensely nice, but Wilson's got a lot of juice and would likely not be around in the second round. If it does happen we have to wonder how the interior run defense would hold up. Neither he nor Washington are great at wading through garbage, but the ability to disguise coverages would be very cool.
I like Acho a lot as a rotational rusher and Peterson's a tremendous prospect.

Unrelated, if AJ Green is available should the Cardinals pull a Denny and draft him?

Is AJ Green's father one of CKW's best friends?

 

[Pariah]

Martez while has the size for SILB he doesnt not have the mentality or the game to play SILB IMO. His game resembles more of Dansby's then it does a Hayes.

Is there a thumper that should come off the board at the end of the first/start of the second? I'm starting to think that we can get a value at OLB in the third (see below) and maybe should get a guy like that for the middle in the second.

You would also probably have to take Acho in the 2nd, but crazier things have happened.

I think there are so many 3-4 rush type guys that SOMEONE is going to fall to the third. If it's not Acho, maybe it's Brooks Reed? Someone will...

 

[Pariah]

Unrelated, if AJ Green is available should the Cardinals pull a Denny and draft him?

If it comes down to Peterson and Green, I don't think we should.

If it comes down to Miller and Green? Maybe.

Anyone else...probably. But, I also don't think I'd have a problem passing on him for a guy like Bowers or even Gabbert.

JMHO

 

[Mulli]

I think there is such a high premium on rush OLB (and Acho looked Acho cheese delicious at the combine) that Acho in the second would be awesome. Get a middle LB with size later.

 

[Waysouth]

I like Peterson in the 1st
Houston/Reed/Acho/Sheard in the 2nd
Maybe Kelvin Sheppard in the 3rd (may slip to 4th)

 

[ARZCardinals]

PP7/Von Miller in the 1st
Kyle R TE - in the 2nd
OLB - in the 3rd

 

[Cardiac]

If the FO doesn't love Gabbert or Newton then grab Von in the 1st. It has been far too long since we have addressed pass rusher in the draft. I truly believe that DD and CC are very good pass rushers, especially for 3-4 DE's. Add in a speed Demon like Von and our pass rush is scary for other teams.

Then BPA available at SILB, OT, TE, CB, OLB in that order in the 2nd.

I agree with CrazyCanuck that NT needs to be addressed at some point as well, we need some depth and injury insurance at the position.

If Von isn't there at #5 then I look hard at Quinn and Bowers.

 

[PaulW]

Concerning Sam Acho, the GBN Report has him rated 96th on the top 200 and the CBS-NFLDraftScout has Acho rated 64th. Maybe he can be had by trading back into the later 2nd round.

A few DE/OLBs I like either in the later rounds or as an UDFA:

1. Ugo Chinasas, OK State, 6-5, 264, 4.75 40, maybe in the 5th.
2. Craig Marschall, So. Florida, 6-5, 260, 4.75, 6th, 7th or UDFA.
3. Christian Anthony, Grambling, 6-4, 275, 4.80, 7th or UDFA.

 

[joeshmo]

Is there a thumper that should come off the board at the end of the first/start of the second?

Not a one. And this is coming from a guy who has Kelvin Sheppard in his top 10 favorite prospects for the Cards.

 

[kerouac9]

If the FO doesn't love Gabbert or Newton then grab Von in the 1st. It has been far too long since we have addressed pass rusher in the draft. I truly believe that DD and CC are very good pass rushers, especially for 3-4 DE's. Add in a speed Demon like Von and our pass rush is scary for other teams.

Then BPA available at SILB, OT, TE, CB, OLB in that order in the 2nd.

I agree with CrazyCanuck that NT needs to be addressed at some point as well, we need some depth and injury insurance at the position.

If Von isn't there at #5 then I look hard at Quinn and Bowers.

C'mon, Cardiac. The Cards drafted O'Brien Schofield last year, and Cody Brown the year before (in the second round, no less).

 

[Cardiac]

C'mon, Cardiac. The Cards drafted O'Brien Schofield last year, and Cody Brown the year before (in the second round, no less).

How about if I add successfully or maybe better yet early draft pick on a speed rusher? You know where most of them are typically found.

I like O'Briens potential and loved that we took a risk on him last year. Cody was a desperation pick as OLBer's were flying off the board.

To be more specific, I think there are a couple of positions that require early
1st rd picks to better ensure you get the type of player you need.

They are:
QB, LT, and Pass rusher.

After these 3 positions then look at CB's and WR's, the other key components in a passing offense/defense. Safeties have become very important so we are seeing more of them taken early in the draft. Was it about 7 years or so ago that safeties were hardly taken in the 1st rd and almost never in the top 15?

DT's have flowed in and out of top 10 consideration over the years, IIRC. Back when this was more of a rushing league they were a big need. Then they fell of a bit and now are back in play for early pick consideration.

All of the above is based on my perception and I have been wrong once or twice before

Didn't TE's become almost extinct for a period of time and now are making a huge resurgence. Vernon Davis and Tony Gonzalez have been the only 2 TE's taken in the top ten that I can think of for the last 15 years.

 

[kerouac9]

I agree with you. I agree with the logic, just not the player. I don't think that Von Miller is a great pass rusher, he's just a fast guy... but apparently I'm in the minority on this, so I don't really want to get into it again.

I agree with you that if you're drafting in the Top 5 or 10 you should be drafting one of those three positions. I actually think that WR is below DT and CB, and you shouldn't ever draft a S, TE, or RB in the top of the draft. There are rare exceptions (Patrick Willis and Adrian Peterson the exceptions who prove the rule), but I think that's the gist.

For me the difference with Von Miller is whether he's big enough to play OLB (I don't think so) and whether he has the pass rush moves to be effective (I don't think so, either). Miller has great speed, but I don't see the developed pass rush skills or the flexibility that other great pass rushers have.

Those things being said, if there isn't a premire position player available when you're drafting in the Top 5, what is there to do? I'd probably trade down, even if you have to take less to do so. I'd move into the 8-12 range in exchange for a 3rd round pick rather than draft a player whom I have to sell myself on.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Q: What is Patrick Peterson, CB, Martez Wilson, ILB and Sam Acho, OLB?

Add a veteran QB in the mix and we're off!

Here's a blurb about Wilson from NFL Post under draft rumors:

• I keep hearing from team sources that medical concerns are still very real with Illinois LB Martez Wilson, which could cause him to slide on draft day.

 

[Stout]

I am still completely up in the air with who I really want us to target in the first round of this draft. I usually have one guy I feel we MUST take if he's available. I don't know why the waters are so muddy for me this time around, but they are.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I like Martez Wilson, at least I though I did, but here's another bad report on him from Cbs sportsline:


As good as his teammates workouts were -- and considering that he looked fantastic in the measureable drills at the Combine -- expectations were high for linebacker Martez Wilson.

Unfortunately, those expectations were dashed when Wilson struggled in positional drills, run by the Bengals' Jeff FitzGerald.

The scout, who works for a team unlikely to select a linebacker in the first half of the draft, didn't pull any punches.

"Everyone left that workout disappointed with [Wilson]. His footwork was bad, his hands were bad, even his countenance was bad. The other kids were having fun and seemed to enjoy the competition. He didn't look like he wanted to be there," the scout said.

"It wasn't a good workout for him - but one more indicative of how he actually plays. He looked great in the measureables at the Combine and everyone was talking about him, but he's not a very instinctive player so that speed doesn't translate onto the field."

 

[SuperSpck]

Cody Brown

AAARRRGHHH.
I'd actually forgotten about him for a while.
It really sucks when the high rounders don't pan out.

 

[Mitch]

Martez Wilson has Karlos Dansby-itis. Plays too tall for an ILB...won't bend to make fundamental tackles...won't throw his body in to blow up screens....is more of a chaser...he can run and he looks the part, but at the end of the day, his pad level is way too high, he is strictly an arm tackler and his willingness to stick his nose in there is unacceptable. Ask Illinois fans...they were consistently underwhelmed.

 

[lobo]

Martez Wilson has Karlos Dansby-itis. Plays too tall for an ILB...won't bend to make fundamental tackles...won't throw his body in to blow up screens....is more of a chaser...he can run and he looks the part, but at the end of the day, his pad level is way too high, he is strictly an arm tackler and his willingness to stick his nose in there is unacceptable. Ask Illinois fans...they were consistently underwhelmed.

I am very familiar with your picks Mitch, the nice thing in general about them is they are not "but if he could only" type guys...again in general these guys strap it on and go out and play and all have pretty decent upside.