Cardinal Mock--Today's Hunch

[Mitch]

Certainly much may depend on who the Cardinals sign in free agency...but...all things considered this is today's hunch:

1. LB Dan Connor (6-3, 240, Penn St.). Reasoning: (a) this kid is the best tackler in the draft; (b) with the possibility of Dansby playing for a one-year franchise tag salary, having Connor on board would be wise; (c) it's entirely possible that the Cardinals, if they do go this route, could slip Connor next to Hayes and slide Dansby to the edge---especially if Calvin Pace isn't re-signed. Why select Connor over one of the top RBs and CBs? This is a tough call, but Connor would give the team the most immediate value and productivity.

2. DE/OLB Bruce Davis (6-3, 247, UCLA). Reasoning: (a) one of the best pure pass rushers in the draft and as everyone saw in the Super Bowl a good pass rush is paramount to winning football games; (b) the Cardinals need pass rushers especially with Pace's situation undetermined and Okeafor getting older.

3. CB/S Simeon Castille (6-1, 189, Alabama). Reasoning: (a) tall and aggressive DBs are hard to find and Castille is a real good one; (b) he's versatile...could become the nickel in place of Rolle as Rolle switches to free safety...could challenge Eric Green at RCB and...may project well as a free safety in the pros, as several scouts seem to believe.

4. FS DaJuan Morgan (6-1, 200, North Carolina St.). Reasoning: (a) the Cardinals weren't planning on taking another DB here but feel they cannot pass on Morgan, who, had he waited another year would have been a late first round/early second rounder; (b) down the road he may be the kind of steal they got in drafting Adrian Wilson, another NC St. star, who they snagged in the 3rd round.

5. WR Dorian Bryant (5-10, 185, Purdue). Reasoning: (a) Cardinals hit the athletic WR jackpot two years in a row in the 5th round with Bryant, who would immediately factor into the offense as a speedy, elusive slot WR and on special teams as a return man.

6. RB Andre Callender (5-11, 204, Boston College). Reasoning: (a) Callender is slippery, tough and one of the very best pass receivers out of the backfield in this class. Has really started to blossom--his best football may be ahead of him.

7. P Geoff Price (6-3, 196, Notre Dame). Reasoning: (a) the Cards would have been tempted to take Durant Brooks or Mike Dragosavich in the 4th round, only both of them most likely will be taken by the middle of the 4th round...thus the Cardinals kept their eye on Price, who averaged 45.4 yards per punt as a junior.

 

[Pariah]

Connor is intriguing, but I think you really have to buy into two things for him to be the selection there:

1. BPA: This is a pick that may only appeal to the hardcore BPAers. We don't really have a need for a LB in the mold of Connor.

2. Penderghast's ability: You've got tpo have faith that Penderghast is smart enough to be able to utilize him effectively and not try to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Looking at the above criteria, I'd be okay with Connor as the first round pick, I think.

 

[Matt L]

I'm sure that Connor can definitely cover in a soft prevent scheme.

 

[CardLogic]

Among many other positives, one nice thing about Connor is that he has got the skills to play either inside or outside LB.

 

[General Chaos]

I would cry if we took Connor in the 1st round. Mayock said he is very similar to Puzluzny (sp?) (2nd round pick). We need outside LB's for a 3-4, and thats not Connor IMO.

 

[Goober Man]

Call me stubborn but I'm sticking to my guns with my Mock draft...I feel pretty good about it.


Round 1 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Tenn State (Reasoning) Yes DRC comes from a small school but during the senior bowl he showed that he can play with the big boys by making a pick and a couple solid tackles (has good size and speed as well 6'1 183lbs runs a 4.45 40 or faster) http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/cb/dominiquerodgerscromartie.html
I know the profile lists him as a mid rounder but I think the Combine will make him a 1st Rounder.

Round 2 OLB/DE Quentin Groves Auburn (Reasoning) Groves stock has dropped a lot from his junior year mainly because he dislocated a couple toes and wasn't the same since then. Before that he was a menace to OL's and QB's...Needs to work on consistency though and needs to be coached up....(6'3 254lbs runs a 4.60 40) http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/de/quentingroves.html

Round 3 RB Matt Forte Tulane (Reasoning) IMO One of the most under rated RB's in this years draft. Good hands, tough runner and a good blocker. Produced well this year with 2,127 yards and 23 TD's. We would be talking about this guy if it wasn't for Kevin Smith. Has great size to (6'2 223lbs runs a 4.60 40) I think he will run faster than that maybe 4.5.) http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/rb/mattforte.html

Round 4 FS Thomas DeCoud California (Reasoning) Depending on which site you look at he is a 3rd or 4th Rounder. He does it all STeams block kicks could play SS or CB in a pinch. Very hard hitter. Only had 1 INT his entire career though....(6'2 204lbs runs a 4.55 40) http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/s/thomasdecoud.html

Round 5 WR Darius Raynuad West Virginia (Reasoning) Classic slot WR...Caught 12 TDs in a run heavy offense at WVU. Good at run blocking and run after the catch and speedy. A little undersized though (5'10 200lbs runs a 4.45 40) No profile yet.

Round 6 DE Kendall Langford Hampton (Reasoning) A giant sized DE (6'6 294lbs) Would fit well as a DE in the 3-4 on running downs. Showed that he belonged with the big boys during the Senior Bowl with his quickness. Still level of questionable competition may be his downside. No profile yet.

Round 7 P Mike Dragosvich North Dakota State (Reasoning) A Linebacker turned punter. Has a strong accurate leg. Broke the Senior bowl longest punt record. Needs to work on speeding up his kicking motion though. Didn't play against top competition and didn't punt a lot...(6'5 215lbs runs a 4.85 40) http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/p/mikedragosavich.html

 

[DaisyCutter]

Goober, Groves might make it into the second round, but I'd be hard-pressed to imagine that he'll make it halfway through the second round. DEs are hard to come by, and this draft is really shallow at the pass-rushing position. He'll likely be gone in the mid- to late 20s.

And, really, despite a great Senior Bowl week, 16 is way too early for value in Rogers-Cromartie. That would make him the 2nd or (more likely) 3rd cornerback off the board, and I don't have him that high. Antrel Rolle ran a 4.50 40 on a wet track, and we've all seen how he made the transition to NFL cornerback.

It'll be hard to call the 2008 draft a success if we don't walk away from it feeling like we addressed the future of the position of Cornerback, Offensive Tackle, and Running back.

Callender isn't listed among the top 255 prospects on the board at The Huddle Report.com. ESPN.com ranks him as the 25-best RB prospect. I think he'd be a tad disappointing even as a 6th round pick.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Pretty realistic mock but i haven't seen Davis in the 2nd round in any mocks i looked at. He's more of 3rd -4th rounder at this point. But that doesn't mean anything right now. I still would prefer:
1-Stewart/Mendenhall
2-Tracy Porter/ Cason
3-Jason Jones/Chris Ellis/Bruce Davis
4-Darrell Robertson/Shawn Crable
5-Dexter Jackson
6-King Dunlap
7-P/K

 

[Goober Man]

Daisy...Like I said I'm stubborn..I think DRC will be drafted in the mid 1st round (by us) because I don't think we'll risk him falling into the 2nd round and be picked by somebody else.

Edit: Even nfldraftscout.com has him as a 1st Rounder last time I checked.

 

[joeshmo]

Very leary of Rogers-Cromartie. I am leary of any player that rises up draft boards that fast but was never thought of that highly coming out of the season when games really counted. All of this rising and dropping based on offseason workouts scare me. I tend to keep my rankings the same from the day after the BCS bowls and the day before the draft. Real game scenarios hold bigger weight for me.

Not sure why we still want to move Dansby to the outside when he had his best year ever as the WILB. Leave him there where he can do what he does best, Cover TE's and wrecking havoc sideline to sideline, put him on the outside and you take away what he does best. Connor although I think he will be a solid LB in the league don't think he will be a good one and dont think he can handle the coverage duties that a WILB has in the 3-4 D. That And I think the kid is a jerk and not very coachable. Threatened to beat one of his assistant coach and harassed him on the phone for sometime. Don't like the kid and think he is overratted.

Bruce Davis although I like him and think it would be a good pick, I dont like the pick in the 3rd round. IMO he will never be anything but a one trick pony in the NFL. He is though one guy that is only 230 pounds that I wouldnt mind as a situational pass rusher in the 3-4 D, but as a starter he will get eaten alive, like he did as a 4-3 Player outside of pass rush or if keyed on. If you took him in the 3rd round I think it is a genius pick.

So right on Dorian Bryant, had him in my original draft until I decided to go with a P and K instead. http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=1613834&postcount=3

Like the Morgan pick and would be great value. But I think a lot of other teams will as well. highly doubt he lasts until round 4. 2nd Safety taken in the draft IMO. Mayock even has him rated as the best Safety in the draft ahead of Phillips.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story;jses...0d5d80406b71&template=with-video&confirm=true

I like Castille to. Have tried to put him in many of the mock drafts I have done for the Cards so far.

 

[Zebes]

That's terrible I'd quit being a fan.

 

[DaisyCutter]

Bruce Davis although I like him and think it would be a good pick, I dont like the pick in the 3rd round. IMO he will never be anything but a one trick pony in the NFL. He is though one guy that is only 230 pounds that I wouldnt mind as a situational pass rusher in the 3-4 D, but as a starter he will get eaten alive, like he did as a 4-3 Player outside of pass rush or if keyed on. If you took him in the 3rd round I think it is a genius pick.

Then you must really not like him being taken in the 2nd round, where Mitch has him going.

TheHuddleReport.com has him in the mid-80s on their value board, which means he'd be a mild reach (depending on the extent of the DE run in the late-first round). I wasn't really that impressed with him last season. He got eaten alive by a below-average ASU OL.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

That's terrible I'd quit being a fan.

Really?

Then how are you still a fan?

The Cardinal have had WAY worse drafts than that in the past.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I would cry if we took Connor in the 1st round. Mayock said he is very similar to Puzluzny (sp?) (2nd round pick). We need outside LB's for a 3-4, and thats not Connor IMO.

How could you cry about that????? Puz was waaaayyyyyy better than two LBs taken ahead of him in Beason and Timmons. In hindsight, he would have been the second LB taken and likely would have went in the middle of the 1st. From what I have heard, Connor is the better player of the two.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Really?

Then how are you still a fan?

The Cardinal have had WAY worse drafts than that in the past.

I was thinking that too...

 

[Zebes]

How would either of you know that none of those guys have played a down in the nfl yet, and some of them never will.

 

[cardsfanmd]

How would either of you know that none of those guys have played a down in the nfl yet, and some of them never will.

How would you know?? From what you said above, you wouldn't. Yet you would stop being a fan based on something you apparently know nothing about. Good call.

BTW, I would love to take a good ASFN bet on these player's futures against the careers of the guys we took in '02. Matter of fact, I will take Dan Connor's carrer against that whole Cardinal draft (since McCown was the only one who made it). We could bet usernames, beer buying responsibilties, anything you like.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

How could you cry about that????? Puz was waaaayyyyyy better than two LBs taken ahead of him in Beason and Timmons. In hindsight, he would have been the second LB taken and likely would have went in the middle of the 1st. From what I have heard, Connor is the better player of the two.

Agreed. Puz was having a big impact (at least for a rookie) till he got injured.

 

[RugbyMuffin]

How would either of you know that none of those guys have played a down in the nfl yet, and some of them never will.

????? I didn't say anything about any players.

I don't know anything about the college players. I get my information from here about that.

Plus the draft is a complete crap shoot in my eyes anyway.

Hall of Famers picked in the bizillionth round, or not even drafted. I mean how the heck does Anquan Boldin make it to the second round of a draft ?

Just roll the dice IMO.

 

[BigShtank]

Here's my picks:

1. Stewart or Talib - If Stewart is there at 16 you have to take him, he's a top 10 on most draft ranking boards. If not, then take the best CB available.
2. Best CBA or Best OLBA - Best CB is if we take Stewart and OLB if we take Talib.
3. Best T or G available for line depth
4. Best CB or S available for depth at that position
5. P to replace Berger

I'm not going to go past round one because there are way too many variables. I go by what's needed.

I'm hoping for Stewart solely so I can have a sign that says "Welcome to the Daily Show with Johnathon Stewart". Lame yes, but Edge has one more year left and if we go into the playoffs next year, there won't be a RB the caliber that Stewart is at our position in the following draft. CB is desperately needed to be fixed so one of the first two picks had better be a CB.

 

[Zebes]

Here's my picks:

1. Stewart or Talib - If Stewart is there at 16 you have to take him, he's a top 10 on most draft ranking boards. If not, then take the best CB available.
2. Best CBA or Best OLBA - Best CB is if we take Stewart and OLB if we take Talib.
3. Best T or G available for line depth
4. Best CB or S available for depth at that position
5. P to replace Berger

I'm not going to go past round one because there are way too many variables. I go by what's needed.

I'm hoping for Stewart solely so I can have a sign that says "Welcome to the Daily Show with Johnathon Stewart". Lame yes, but Edge has one more year left and if we go into the playoffs next year, there won't be a RB the caliber that Stewart is at our position in the following draft. CB is desperately needed to be fixed so one of the first two picks had better be a CB.

Now here are some draft picks I'd like.

 

[DaisyCutter]

How could you cry about that????? Puz was waaaayyyyyy better than two LBs taken ahead of him in Beason and Timmons. In hindsight, he would have been the second LB taken and likely would have went in the middle of the 1st. From what I have heard, Connor is the better player of the two.

How can you say that about a guy who only appeared in 3 games for the Bills last season? You can't possibly be serious about it.

Poz - 3 games, 29 tackles.

Beason - 16 games, 140 tackles, 6 PDs, 1 INT.

Timmons - 16 games, 13 tackles, but mostly played special teams.

Timmons was a BPA selection, and he'll get more playing time next year, but I don't think that most of the teams in the league thought that Poz for 3 games was a better choice than either of those other guys for 16.

 

[DoTheDew]

I would be highly disappointed if the Cards drafted a LB and DE/OLB tweener in the first two rounds unless they are of incredible value, the two guys listed in you're mock are talented but not to the point of using both first day picks on basically the same position that isn't even a need.

 

[SuperSpck]

How can you say that about a guy who only appeared in 3 games for the Bills last season? You can't possibly be serious about it.

Poz - 3 games, 29 tackles.

Beason - 16 games, 140 tackles, 6 PDs, 1 INT.

Beason had a nice year, but an average of (roughly) 10 tackles a game isn't bad for Poz either. At this point with two major injuries in such a short time people may begin to worry about his ability to stay uninjured not staying productive when he's there.

See Rob Morris and Dan Morgan.

 

[lobo]

How could you cry about that????? Puz was waaaayyyyyy better than two LBs taken ahead of him in Beason and Timmons. In hindsight, he would have been the second LB taken and likely would have went in the middle of the 1st. From what I have heard, Connor is the better player of the two.

Generally speaking over the years you can count on PS LB's but not on PS rb's....generally speaking. The Cromarte kid is a reach at 16 and will not be who we go after.