It’s that time of year where I participate in a mock draft game. The structure is as you know it from the real one with 32 people being the general manager of the 32 teams. I was obviously again the Cardinals. Last year I was asked to write posts about each selection instead of all of it in one long post, so I will do that again. I will also copy each one into this original post, so you can also read it as a forthgoing story, if you prefer that.
A big part of the draft is obviously about filling holes, and in my opinion, the defense by far needs the most upgrades. Sure, I would like to find an offensive lineman or two, but if I have an offensive- and a defensive players ranked similarly at a selection, I will go with the defensive one
It’s only about a week ago that I posted my top five rankings here, but there have already been some changes, so I will note it again. Since before Christmas, Shemar Stewart has been my #1 ranked (I have not included Mason Graham and Abdul Carter because why would I? They will be long gone anyway), because of his enormous potential. I am probably in the minority, but I think that Ossenfort has done a fine job in raising the floor level of the team, so now it is time to add superstars. The players that make the small difference between a win and a loss. Stewart could be that guy. However, I have started to think that you only draft him if you have a lot of trust in your defensive line-coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere was obviously just hired. Instead, I think that more “proven” players are the way to go, which is why I have moved Mykel Williams and Kenneth Grant above Stewart on the Cards board. Picking them is the right thing to do, so to speak, even though Stewart might have the biggest potential of any player in the entire draft.
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Round 1
I had five players I would draft at #16, but both Grant and CB Will Johnson were gone. Therefore, the options were:
Edge rusher Mykel Williams, Georgia
To understand Williams, you need to understand that he played both hurt and out of position last season. For whatever reason, he spent a good amount of time in a 4i-role, which he can certainly do, but it doesn’t exploit his strengths to the fullest. I think he was used there partly because he is a great run defender, and partly because Georgia has 5-star players all over the defensive line, so to get them all on the field they had to move some players around. But make no mistake: Williams has the potential of a franchise changing player. He was awesome for long stretches of the 2023 campaign.
Edge rusher Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Well, I already covered him in the beginning. Stewart has the ceiling of an All Pro, but there is no way to argue against the fact that he hasn’t produced much stats-wise yet. His tape shows that he affects the game a lot, though, and his potential makes him a very attractive option.
Edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
I have no idea why so many are singing Mike Green’s praise over Ezeiruaku. I mean, I understand that fans mostly follow the professional analysts (that is not a critic, by the way), and fortunately, those analysts are starting to catch up to Ezeiruaku. The point is that they are basically the same players (almost same size, same production, same playing style, same workout numbers), but Ezeiruaku have done it through multiple years at a higher level, and he has longer arms and bigger hands. I don’t know. It is very confusing to me. The only reason I could be convinced to lean toward Green is that he might be more of a Gannon-player as he plays slighter more aggressively and violent than Ezeiruaku.
With the #16 pick, the Arizona Cardinals select
Edge rusher Mykel Williams, Georgia
The Broncos offered #20, #85 (third round) and #208 (sixth round), and I did consider it. In the end I chose to go with the #1 ranked player, though.
I explained it in another post, so bear with me if you have already read it, but the Cardinals use different types of edge rushers in their base-defense and nickel-defense. In base-defense, most likely Darius Robinson and Josh Sweat will occupy the two edges, but in nickel they will bring in one more, as Robinson slides a little inside. As a rookie, Williams can back up Sweat in base-defense and play opposite him in nickel.
Last season was an embarrassment pass rush-wise, and they need to add multiple players to improve it. Signing Josh Sweat was a great start, but he is a very good #2 and should not be a team’s best edge rusher. Darius Robinson and B.J. Ojulari could potentially become superstars, but I would not count on that as the Cards’ only hope. Mykel Williams have the making of a stud, and having an edge rush-unit consisting of Sweat, Ojulari, Browning, Williams, and Robinson mixed in on certain downs has a lot of promises.
By the way, later the Bengals' GM told me that he would have taken Williams at #17, while Seahawks would have taken Stewart at #18 (they took him at #20 after trading with the Broncos). Thus, it was very fortunate that I did not sell my pick.
A big part of the draft is obviously about filling holes, and in my opinion, the defense by far needs the most upgrades. Sure, I would like to find an offensive lineman or two, but if I have an offensive- and a defensive players ranked similarly at a selection, I will go with the defensive one
It’s only about a week ago that I posted my top five rankings here, but there have already been some changes, so I will note it again. Since before Christmas, Shemar Stewart has been my #1 ranked (I have not included Mason Graham and Abdul Carter because why would I? They will be long gone anyway), because of his enormous potential. I am probably in the minority, but I think that Ossenfort has done a fine job in raising the floor level of the team, so now it is time to add superstars. The players that make the small difference between a win and a loss. Stewart could be that guy. However, I have started to think that you only draft him if you have a lot of trust in your defensive line-coach, and Winston DeLattiboudere was obviously just hired. Instead, I think that more “proven” players are the way to go, which is why I have moved Mykel Williams and Kenneth Grant above Stewart on the Cards board. Picking them is the right thing to do, so to speak, even though Stewart might have the biggest potential of any player in the entire draft.
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Round 1
I had five players I would draft at #16, but both Grant and CB Will Johnson were gone. Therefore, the options were:
Edge rusher Mykel Williams, Georgia
To understand Williams, you need to understand that he played both hurt and out of position last season. For whatever reason, he spent a good amount of time in a 4i-role, which he can certainly do, but it doesn’t exploit his strengths to the fullest. I think he was used there partly because he is a great run defender, and partly because Georgia has 5-star players all over the defensive line, so to get them all on the field they had to move some players around. But make no mistake: Williams has the potential of a franchise changing player. He was awesome for long stretches of the 2023 campaign.
Edge rusher Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Well, I already covered him in the beginning. Stewart has the ceiling of an All Pro, but there is no way to argue against the fact that he hasn’t produced much stats-wise yet. His tape shows that he affects the game a lot, though, and his potential makes him a very attractive option.
Edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
I have no idea why so many are singing Mike Green’s praise over Ezeiruaku. I mean, I understand that fans mostly follow the professional analysts (that is not a critic, by the way), and fortunately, those analysts are starting to catch up to Ezeiruaku. The point is that they are basically the same players (almost same size, same production, same playing style, same workout numbers), but Ezeiruaku have done it through multiple years at a higher level, and he has longer arms and bigger hands. I don’t know. It is very confusing to me. The only reason I could be convinced to lean toward Green is that he might be more of a Gannon-player as he plays slighter more aggressively and violent than Ezeiruaku.
With the #16 pick, the Arizona Cardinals select
Edge rusher Mykel Williams, Georgia
The Broncos offered #20, #85 (third round) and #208 (sixth round), and I did consider it. In the end I chose to go with the #1 ranked player, though.
I explained it in another post, so bear with me if you have already read it, but the Cardinals use different types of edge rushers in their base-defense and nickel-defense. In base-defense, most likely Darius Robinson and Josh Sweat will occupy the two edges, but in nickel they will bring in one more, as Robinson slides a little inside. As a rookie, Williams can back up Sweat in base-defense and play opposite him in nickel.
Last season was an embarrassment pass rush-wise, and they need to add multiple players to improve it. Signing Josh Sweat was a great start, but he is a very good #2 and should not be a team’s best edge rusher. Darius Robinson and B.J. Ojulari could potentially become superstars, but I would not count on that as the Cards’ only hope. Mykel Williams have the making of a stud, and having an edge rush-unit consisting of Sweat, Ojulari, Browning, Williams, and Robinson mixed in on certain downs has a lot of promises.
By the way, later the Bengals' GM told me that he would have taken Williams at #17, while Seahawks would have taken Stewart at #18 (they took him at #20 after trading with the Broncos). Thus, it was very fortunate that I did not sell my pick.
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