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Version 1 because it will surely change after some Pro Days and especially Free Agency comes by.
Here it is.
1. G - Change Warmack - Bama. Although Id much rather take Eric Fisher, I think BA and Keim have spent the entire combine week letting Cards fans know that Levi Brown is our starting LT, and Massie is our starting RT. And admittedly, we cant have 4 starting-grade T’s on the team. That’s a fantastic problem to have, but one we should avoid. Massie and Potter showed they are both capable, and we already know Levi isn’t going anywhere. For that knowledge, I think it comes down to Warmack and Geno Smith. Usually, when new coaching regimes come in, they typically like to have “their Guy” in at QB. And to accomplish that, there’s nothing better than drafting the best QB overall in your first year. But I think the pick will ultimately be Warmack. My only concern is the guy is dumb as a rock. Taking a Guard top 10 is never a fun move, but taking a potential pro bowler who will provide a dominating force on a long maligned Oline is a great pick any way you look at it.
2. S - Phillip Thomas - Fresno State. 8 picks, 4 forced fumbles and 12 TFL and 4 sacks in 2012. That’s what you call production and Adubs replacement. Love this pick. I wish there was more I could say about him but there’s not. He’s a ball hawk who’s probably the biggest big-play maker in this entire draft (considering the fact there’s no dominant QB, CB or RB). He’s not the most athletic Safety out there, and yet he puts up numbers like that. Instincts and technique overshadow physical ability every time, and this guys got Ed Reed-like instinctive ability.
3. RB - Christine Michael - Texas A&M. I think he’s going to be the breakout RB on the 2013 class. He’s that rare mix of Power, size and speed. Like a poor mans Adrian Peterson. The only reason he is available in the 3rd is because he has a couple concerns. First being a report came out that said he overslept and missed 2 team interviews at the combine. Looks bad, but the guy overslept. He didn’t miss the meetings because he was busy disposing of bodies in a trash compactor across town. If guys are willing to take Sam Montgomery (who admitted to taking entire games off vs. weak opponents which tells me he’s a jerk, loser and bum. But more importantly, he might be fractionally ********. Him thinking it was a good idea to disclose that information makes me question how he’s made this far in life, in general.) then I think Christine Michael is more than a safe Risk to take. The other concern may be health. Which Ill point out he broke a leg in college. He didn’t blow out his ACL. He broke a leg. You can break your bones 10x over and that wont matter once they are healed. IMO, he has no health concerns. He was in a RB by committee at TX and so he’s coming into the league with fewer carries than most. Therefore he has more carries in him to start off with. I love this pick in the 3rd round. When creating this mock, I basically plugged him in at 3 and built around it. Beanies more than capable replacement. Its also been reported that Michael did meet with the Cardinals at the East-West Shrine game, so we know for a fact he’s on their radar.
4. CB - Darius Slay - Mississippi State. With the release of Gay, we need another CB on the team. Guys got phenomenal talent and ability. He blew up the combine. I don’t think Fleming is any good. Now especially with Horton gone, he wont have a disciplinarian there to keep his head in check. Bowles is about as intense as Bill Cosby, and so we need a defense of guys who will be self motivated and overly talented to make up for the ensuing garbage fest which is Todd Bowles defense. This is a BPA-need pick. But I think Slay is a gem. Honestly, I’m sure if he will be here anymore. I think he’s making a big push to be a late 2 at this point. If that were the case, I might consider moving Slay to the 3rd pick, and Michael back to the 4th pick. But you got to pick your shots. Id rather for sure have CM than Slay. We do need a CB, but not desperately. If we were to take Thomas in the 2nd, then he’d alleviate a ton of pressure off our pass defense. B.W.Webb out of William and Mary could be a choice here also since Slay is looking very unlikely.
5. ILB - Cornelius Washington - Georgia. Pick based solely on combine performance? Bet your ass it is. J/K. Actually I put a lot of time into this pick, because I am not Al Davis and do not draft based on freakish ability alone. How can a guy of his physical ability (and if you don’t know, go check his combine stats and be amazed) be so under the radar? My theory: because he played on a stacked Georgia defense. Its hard to make plays when your teammates are so adept at making plays themselves. Its very hard to stand out as a linebacker when you line up next to Jarvis Jones. But do you know who also didn’t get much attention in college because he was on a stacked defense, and shared a position with a headliner? Daryl Washington. That TCU defense was rated the best in the country. And Jerry Hughes was its top play maker. I’m not saying CW is nearly as good as DW, but they do share a lot of similarities. Plus I do think CW’s freakish athletic abilities make him the perfect match with DW on the inside. These 2 together would easily create the most athletic LB corps in the NFL. Doesn’t even matter whose on the outsides. I love this pick. I think CW has the makings of being a dominant force in the NFL. The days of lumbering ILBs are over. Athleticism and speed rule all, as seen with DW and Patrick Willis. And CW might be the most athletic ILB in the league.
6. DE/OLB - Quanterus Smith - Western Kentucky. We need to replace OBS. Moreover, we just need to find that dominant pass rusher we’ve been lacking. I think this guy has a shot at being that. He had 12.5 sacks in 2012. In their game against Alabama he “Destroyed” LT DJ Fluker ( a potential late 1st round pick). He will be a DE convert because he’s too small to be on the line. But he’s got the speed and power to be a heck of a OLB. Only concern is does he have coverage abilities? We can only watch and find out. I have no doubt this guy can get to the QB and often if he had the coaching that we have in place this year for pass rushers.
6. OT Luke Marquardt - Azusa Pacific - Google Him. This late in the draft, guys like this can turn out to be very high value. Rare athletic ability. I think the only reason he’s not in any discussions is because he’s from a small school. And we all know the Cards need to make at least 1 small school reach pick.
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Alternative Picks
1. QB - Geno Smith - WV. Could be BA’s guy. I personally believe he’s the perfect fit for Bas vertical offense. Geno has one of the best deep ball ability I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, he’s got a lacking short game. As long as every pass is 15 yards+, expect big things from Geno.
2. G - Larry Warford - Kentucky. He’s a monster who’d instantly upgrade our line.
3. C- Brian Schwenke - Cal. IMO, the star of the combine. No one stood out moreso than he (Cornelius Washington included). Thought this guy looked like the next premier Center in the league based on his performance.
4. QB - Matt Scott. Arizona. ** Obviously we wont take Scott if we take Geno, this is just an alternate for the 4th rounder. Keim mentioned that he wants to start drafting Qbs in bulk until they find one that works. But BA is thoroughly anti-read option, which is something Scott can excel at. Where Matt Scott lacks the talent of Andrew Luck, he makes up for it by being the top “Leader” of any QB in this draft. There’s no doubt he as an “It Factor” and commands a room and huddle. Those you cant teach. And its not like he’s a terrible passer. Sitting at about 61% which is slightly low for a college QB, but otherwise I think he can be coached up on his mechanics and read abilities. He also met with the Cardinals at the E-W Shrine game. Could be they are just talking to every single QB in this draft from the top down, but at least we know they are aware of his talent.
5. OLB - Cameron Lawrence - Mississippi State. I almost put him in my top draft. He is a mid-late round value pick who can turn out to be a savage in the NFL.
6 & 6 - There arent HOFrs at every level of the draft. If we dont hit on the first 5 picks picks, I doubt either of the 6'ers will be matter much.
Here it is.
1. G - Change Warmack - Bama. Although Id much rather take Eric Fisher, I think BA and Keim have spent the entire combine week letting Cards fans know that Levi Brown is our starting LT, and Massie is our starting RT. And admittedly, we cant have 4 starting-grade T’s on the team. That’s a fantastic problem to have, but one we should avoid. Massie and Potter showed they are both capable, and we already know Levi isn’t going anywhere. For that knowledge, I think it comes down to Warmack and Geno Smith. Usually, when new coaching regimes come in, they typically like to have “their Guy” in at QB. And to accomplish that, there’s nothing better than drafting the best QB overall in your first year. But I think the pick will ultimately be Warmack. My only concern is the guy is dumb as a rock. Taking a Guard top 10 is never a fun move, but taking a potential pro bowler who will provide a dominating force on a long maligned Oline is a great pick any way you look at it.
2. S - Phillip Thomas - Fresno State. 8 picks, 4 forced fumbles and 12 TFL and 4 sacks in 2012. That’s what you call production and Adubs replacement. Love this pick. I wish there was more I could say about him but there’s not. He’s a ball hawk who’s probably the biggest big-play maker in this entire draft (considering the fact there’s no dominant QB, CB or RB). He’s not the most athletic Safety out there, and yet he puts up numbers like that. Instincts and technique overshadow physical ability every time, and this guys got Ed Reed-like instinctive ability.
3. RB - Christine Michael - Texas A&M. I think he’s going to be the breakout RB on the 2013 class. He’s that rare mix of Power, size and speed. Like a poor mans Adrian Peterson. The only reason he is available in the 3rd is because he has a couple concerns. First being a report came out that said he overslept and missed 2 team interviews at the combine. Looks bad, but the guy overslept. He didn’t miss the meetings because he was busy disposing of bodies in a trash compactor across town. If guys are willing to take Sam Montgomery (who admitted to taking entire games off vs. weak opponents which tells me he’s a jerk, loser and bum. But more importantly, he might be fractionally ********. Him thinking it was a good idea to disclose that information makes me question how he’s made this far in life, in general.) then I think Christine Michael is more than a safe Risk to take. The other concern may be health. Which Ill point out he broke a leg in college. He didn’t blow out his ACL. He broke a leg. You can break your bones 10x over and that wont matter once they are healed. IMO, he has no health concerns. He was in a RB by committee at TX and so he’s coming into the league with fewer carries than most. Therefore he has more carries in him to start off with. I love this pick in the 3rd round. When creating this mock, I basically plugged him in at 3 and built around it. Beanies more than capable replacement. Its also been reported that Michael did meet with the Cardinals at the East-West Shrine game, so we know for a fact he’s on their radar.
4. CB - Darius Slay - Mississippi State. With the release of Gay, we need another CB on the team. Guys got phenomenal talent and ability. He blew up the combine. I don’t think Fleming is any good. Now especially with Horton gone, he wont have a disciplinarian there to keep his head in check. Bowles is about as intense as Bill Cosby, and so we need a defense of guys who will be self motivated and overly talented to make up for the ensuing garbage fest which is Todd Bowles defense. This is a BPA-need pick. But I think Slay is a gem. Honestly, I’m sure if he will be here anymore. I think he’s making a big push to be a late 2 at this point. If that were the case, I might consider moving Slay to the 3rd pick, and Michael back to the 4th pick. But you got to pick your shots. Id rather for sure have CM than Slay. We do need a CB, but not desperately. If we were to take Thomas in the 2nd, then he’d alleviate a ton of pressure off our pass defense. B.W.Webb out of William and Mary could be a choice here also since Slay is looking very unlikely.
5. ILB - Cornelius Washington - Georgia. Pick based solely on combine performance? Bet your ass it is. J/K. Actually I put a lot of time into this pick, because I am not Al Davis and do not draft based on freakish ability alone. How can a guy of his physical ability (and if you don’t know, go check his combine stats and be amazed) be so under the radar? My theory: because he played on a stacked Georgia defense. Its hard to make plays when your teammates are so adept at making plays themselves. Its very hard to stand out as a linebacker when you line up next to Jarvis Jones. But do you know who also didn’t get much attention in college because he was on a stacked defense, and shared a position with a headliner? Daryl Washington. That TCU defense was rated the best in the country. And Jerry Hughes was its top play maker. I’m not saying CW is nearly as good as DW, but they do share a lot of similarities. Plus I do think CW’s freakish athletic abilities make him the perfect match with DW on the inside. These 2 together would easily create the most athletic LB corps in the NFL. Doesn’t even matter whose on the outsides. I love this pick. I think CW has the makings of being a dominant force in the NFL. The days of lumbering ILBs are over. Athleticism and speed rule all, as seen with DW and Patrick Willis. And CW might be the most athletic ILB in the league.
6. DE/OLB - Quanterus Smith - Western Kentucky. We need to replace OBS. Moreover, we just need to find that dominant pass rusher we’ve been lacking. I think this guy has a shot at being that. He had 12.5 sacks in 2012. In their game against Alabama he “Destroyed” LT DJ Fluker ( a potential late 1st round pick). He will be a DE convert because he’s too small to be on the line. But he’s got the speed and power to be a heck of a OLB. Only concern is does he have coverage abilities? We can only watch and find out. I have no doubt this guy can get to the QB and often if he had the coaching that we have in place this year for pass rushers.
6. OT Luke Marquardt - Azusa Pacific - Google Him. This late in the draft, guys like this can turn out to be very high value. Rare athletic ability. I think the only reason he’s not in any discussions is because he’s from a small school. And we all know the Cards need to make at least 1 small school reach pick.
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Alternative Picks
1. QB - Geno Smith - WV. Could be BA’s guy. I personally believe he’s the perfect fit for Bas vertical offense. Geno has one of the best deep ball ability I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, he’s got a lacking short game. As long as every pass is 15 yards+, expect big things from Geno.
2. G - Larry Warford - Kentucky. He’s a monster who’d instantly upgrade our line.
3. C- Brian Schwenke - Cal. IMO, the star of the combine. No one stood out moreso than he (Cornelius Washington included). Thought this guy looked like the next premier Center in the league based on his performance.
4. QB - Matt Scott. Arizona. ** Obviously we wont take Scott if we take Geno, this is just an alternate for the 4th rounder. Keim mentioned that he wants to start drafting Qbs in bulk until they find one that works. But BA is thoroughly anti-read option, which is something Scott can excel at. Where Matt Scott lacks the talent of Andrew Luck, he makes up for it by being the top “Leader” of any QB in this draft. There’s no doubt he as an “It Factor” and commands a room and huddle. Those you cant teach. And its not like he’s a terrible passer. Sitting at about 61% which is slightly low for a college QB, but otherwise I think he can be coached up on his mechanics and read abilities. He also met with the Cardinals at the E-W Shrine game. Could be they are just talking to every single QB in this draft from the top down, but at least we know they are aware of his talent.
5. OLB - Cameron Lawrence - Mississippi State. I almost put him in my top draft. He is a mid-late round value pick who can turn out to be a savage in the NFL.
6 & 6 - There arent HOFrs at every level of the draft. If we dont hit on the first 5 picks picks, I doubt either of the 6'ers will be matter much.
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Would love three O-linemen first. Then a RB in the fourth.
