PFF NFL mock draft has Cardinals drafting ASU kicker Zane Gonzalez in 3rd round
Apr 23, 2017, 3:32 PM | Updated: 8:55 pm
Arizona State's Zane Gonzalez (5) kicks a field goal from the hold of Matt Haack (26) as Northern Arizona's Maurice Davison (20) arrives late during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Could Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez be nailing 50-plus yard field goals in Glendale next season?
Arizona Cardinals fans who are also ASU fans probably wouldn’t mind adding the Lou Groza Award winner. It’s just a question of what the price would be for general manager Steve Keim to acquire the Sun Devil product.
In Pro Football Focus’ #PFFMock on Twitter, analyst Jordan Plocher, on behalf of the Cardinals, drafted Gonzalez in the third round of a seven-round mock.
Arizona Cardinals fans, as GM of the Cardinals for the #PFFMock, I drafted: pic.twitter.com/CJyc1S9dHY
— Jordan Plocher (@PFF_Jordan) April 20, 2017
For the Cardinals’ purposes, it would be surprising to see a kicker selected before a quarterback — Plocher has Arizona drafting Cal’s Davis Webb in the fourth round — considering the pressing need.
The Cardinals using a high draft pick on a kicker is even less likely considering they inked 42-year-old Phil Dawson to replace the departed Chandler Catanzaro this offseason.
The counterpoint: Keim would be smart to hedge on the fact that the 18-year veteran Dawson won’t be around forever.
Still, Plocher demonstrates just how highly sought-after Gonzalez will be in the NFL Draft.
Alreay, PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote that Gonzalez could go by the end of the third round, and SB Nation’s Adam Stites predicted Gonzalez is off the board somewhere in the second round.
