New Sporting News 3-round mock

[JasonKGME]

Here are the Picks for the Cards:

10 (10) Cardinals Vernon Davis* TE Maryland
Arizona might need three footballs on offense to keep all of its playmakers happy. Davis is the best receiver in the '06 draft and is a tight end. He shows good hands, the speed to stretch the field and would bring another dimension to an already potent offense that just added RB Edgerrin James. There finally is an oasis in the desert.


9 (41) Cardinals Brodie Croyle QB Alabama
Kurt Warner has a strong arm but is no spring chicken. If the offensive line doesn't improve and Warner gets hurt again, John Navarre would be next in line. That can't help Dennis Green sleep easy, considering all the effort he has put into building this offense. Croyle has a strong arm, is tough and shows great leadership qualities.


8 (72) Cardinals Andrew Whitworth T LSU
Whitworth was solid and durable for a strong team in a top conference. He is a mauler with good technique as a run blocker, and even though he's not an exceptional athlete, he plays hard and smart on every play. He started at left tackle for LSU but likely will be moved to the right side in the NFL

 

[AzWins23]

Ill take Davis and Witworth...I don't want Brodie

 

[Second Deck]

Thats who I want at #10. I thought Coyle looked good at the combine. I think we have to go QB with the second pick if we don't take one at 10.

 

[Duckjake]

Thats who I want at #10. I thought Coyle looked good at the combine. I think we have to go QB with the second pick if we don't take one at 10.

Why? What have any of these college guys done to show that they are going to be better than Navarre? Why waste a first or second round pick on a QB unless he is a special athlete?

I am all for getting a QBOF but not taking one just because they happen to be draft eligible this year.

 

[az jam]

Brodie is not tough. He has a history of injuries. One of his biggest negatives is durability. He is considered brittle, not strong at all. We certainly don't need this. It would be a wasted 2nd round pick.

However I do like Davis and Whitworth.

 

[JasonKGME]

Why? What have any of these college guys done to show that they are going to be better than Navarre? Why waste a first or second round pick on a QB unless he is a special athlete?

I am all for getting a QBOF but not taking one just because they happen to be draft eligible this year.

My thoughts are if you can't get one of the big 3 (and there might be better options at #10 then one of the 3), then look early 2nd day for another young prospect to push Navarre, worse comes to worse since they are a seccond day pick you can put them to running the practice squad and give them a year behind Warner learning from a good teaching QB. I wouldn't use a 1st day pick unless its with the #10, or we trade down in the 1st round and still end up with Cutler/Young.

 

[Mitch]

1. Davis won't be there at #10.

2. There will be too many good players at #42 to take Brodie Croyle there.

3. Whitworth will be gone by early third.

None of this should or will happen.

 

[Stout]

Argh, this would not be good. Davis I'd take, but I don't like the other two picks.

 

[az jam]

1. Davis won't be there at #10.

2. There will be too many good players at #42 to take Brodie Croyle there.

3. Whitworth will be gone by early third.

None of this should or will happen.

Don't be surprised if the Cardinals take Whitworth with their 2nd round pick. I read that they spent time with him at the senior bowl and also officially interviewed him at the combine.

 

[Evil Ash]

1. Davis won't be there at #10.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. With a run of defensive players and QBs (my bold prediction ... none of the 3 QBs will be available to us @ 10) not to mention the meteoric rise of Winston Justice, there is a chance he's available to us when we pick.

 

[az jam]

I wouldn't be so sure of that. With a run of defensive players and QBs (my bold prediction ... none of the 3 QBs will be available to us @ 10) not to mention the meteoric rise of Winston Justice, there is a chance he's available to us when we pick.

If the three qbs go before we pick then there is a good possibilty that Davis will be there. However, its really hard to predict what is going to happen with those teams ahead of us.

 

[Evil Ash]

If the three qbs go before we pick then there is a good possibilty that Davis will be there. Hoever, its really hard to predict what is going to happen with those teams ahead of us.

Exactly my point. Just a hunch that a team such as the Vikings trade up to get their QBOTF and the whole VY is dropping like a rock is proven to be pure garbage . Not to mention teams such as SF seem to want to move down.

A few days ago the Baltimore Sun reported that the Ravens were trying to trade up to 6 to get VY. If his stock was that low why would they trade up so high?

 

[ChandlerCard]

This is just another mock by someone who doesn't understand our philosophy. Why do the experts always think they know our team's needs? They probably never watched a game.

 

[az jam]

This is just another mock by someone who doesn't understand our philosophy. Why do the experts always think they know our team's needs? They probably never watched a game.

Some of these mock drafts are so ridiculous that its almost funny.

 

[JasonKGME]

This is just another mock by someone who doesn't understand our philosophy. Why do the experts always think they know our team's needs? They probably never watched a game.

Our Team needs are OT, OG, QBOF, TE, DT, LB. So we get 3 of the 6 in the 1st three rounds, how is this not covering the team needs? I don't agree with the picks personally other then Davis at #10, but they do fill needs.

 

[MastersofCombat]

Navarre - Bust.... nothing has looked even remotely special about him, except he has a cardinal uni on.

 

[Duckjake]

Navarre - Bust.... nothing has looked even remotely special about him, except he has a cardinal uni on.

How can a 7th round selection who has played two games in 2 years be a bust?

There are too many decent NFL QB's who did nothing for 2,3 or 8 years for me to write off Navarre.

 

[CardsFan222]

Croyle had both a great combine and a great Senior Bowl

He has a good arm good mechanics and imop is a Kurt Warner clone. If there is any QB in this draft that would be a perfect understudy to Warner, it would be Croyle

I just dont get some people on this board. They dont want to take a QB because he missed some games due to injury

BUT

They want to take a guy in Winston Justice that was suspended twice at a school where you could do whatever you wanted to do and still play football and, not to mention, He has a history of a bad knee. Oh, and They want to pick him in the top 10

I would be doing backflips if the draft turned out like this

 

[perivolaki]

Croyle had both a great combine and a great Senior Bowl

He has a good arm good mechanics and imop is a Kurt Warner clone. If there is any QB in this draft that would be a perfect understudy to Warner, it would be Croyle

I just dont get some people on this board. They dont want to take a QB because he missed some games due to injury

BUT

They want to take a guy in Winston Justice that was suspended twice at a school where you could do whatever you wanted to do and still play football and, not to mention, He has a history of a bad knee. Oh, and They want to pick him in the top 10

I would be doing backflips if the draft turned out like this

I think what really intrigued coaches was when they got Croyle alone in the interviews. I had read where his knowledge of the game was top notch. Most QBs know what there job is on a given play but I guess Croyle could diagram out every single players responsibility on every single play. This is why many scouts have said he reminds them of Tom Brady.

He also has a stronger arm than many give him credit for. I watched a QB challenge show with most of the top QBs that are entering the draft and he had the longest throw in an event to test arm strength. I was impressed with pretty much everything he did in the challenge.

 

[az jam]

This is a writeup on Croyle from NFL Draft Countdown. The issue is durabiltity and that he has had major knee injuries.

Height: 6-2 1/2 | Weight: 205 | 40-Time: 4.87

Official Bio

Strengths:
Has a cannon for an arm...Smart player who can read a defense and make good decisions...Team leader and hard worker with top intangibles...Patient passer who does all the little things...Naturally athletic...Pretty accurate and displays good touch on his passes...Can really get the ball deep downfield...Has always performed very well when healthy...Has not yet begun to reach his full potential.

Weaknesses:
Durability is a major concern as he has a troubling history of injuries since his freshman year of high school including a dislocated elbow, a torn labrum and torn ACL's in both his right and left knees...Lacks a solid build and needs to hit the weights and get stronger...Is not a threat to run at all and is purely a pocket passer...Raw and essentially has only two full years of starting experience.

Notes:
His father, John, played for Paul Bryant and his sister, Reagan, was a basketball player for the Tide and Alabama's 2000 Homecoming queen...Might be a boom or bust prospect...It's all about health with this guy and if he can stay out of the trainers room he has the tools to be a starting quarterback at the next level.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I don't really like Croyle in round 2 but i think he can be every bit as good as Cutler. To me, they are both 3rd round talents.

 

[JeffGollin]

1. Davis won't be there at #10.

2. There will be too many good players at #42 to take Brodie Croyle there.

3. Whitworth will be gone by early third.

I agree with Mitch. I'm also taking a closer look at Whitworth as a second round possibility.
PFW (Nolan Nawrocki) describes Whitworth as a very durable and experienced mauler with big hands and long arms. Great competitor...takes sharp angles and can move defenders off the ball...agile enough to pull...outstanding weight room worker...solid leader...responds well to coaching...but not a great athlete...not a natural knee bender...can be beat by edge speed...a rangy, smart, overachieving banger who gets the job done but doesn't look pretty doing it."...best fit is at RT. He's 6-7 334.

Based on that write-up, he fits a Leckey/Step lunchpail profile only in a tackle's frame.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Davis can easily be there at 10.There's really only one team you have to worry about taking him ahead of the Cards and it's SF.They have Eric Johnson and some seriously pressing needs in the secondary.Throw in the fact that Nolan is defensive coach and it wouldn't be even a mild surprise for them to go in another direction.Oakland is a possibility but not likely.They go their WR's downfield and have a young TE who showed some promise last year.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Here are the Picks for the Cards:

10 (10) Cardinals Vernon Davis* TE Maryland
Arizona might need three footballs on offense to keep all of its playmakers happy. Davis is the best receiver in the '06 draft and is a tight end. He shows good hands, the speed to stretch the field and would bring another dimension to an already potent offense that just added RB Edgerrin James. There finally is an oasis in the desert.


9 (41) Cardinals Brodie Croyle QB Alabama
Kurt Warner has a strong arm but is no spring chicken. If the offensive line doesn't improve and Warner gets hurt again, John Navarre would be next in line. That can't help Dennis Green sleep easy, considering all the effort he has put into building this offense. Croyle has a strong arm, is tough and shows great leadership qualities.


8 (72) Cardinals Andrew Whitworth T LSU
Whitworth was solid and durable for a strong team in a top conference. He is a mauler with good technique as a run blocker, and even though he's not an exceptional athlete, he plays hard and smart on every play. He started at left tackle for LSU but likely will be moved to the right side in the NFL

A few of the publications I've reviewed have Whitworth as the 8th. or 9th. best tackle and a late third or fourth round grade.