Cards’ NFC West opponents upgrade offenses in first round of NFL Draft
Apr 27, 2018, 6:04 AM
The Arizona Cardinals got their quarterback in Josh Rosen, trading up five spots to select the UCLA product at No. 10 overall.
Their three NFC West opponents entered the 2018 NFL Draft already with franchise signal-callers on their respective rosters. The Los Angeles Rams with Jared Goff, Seattle Seahawks with Russell Wilson and San Francisco 49ers with Jimmy Garoppolo set out to fill other needs.
While Los Angeles didn’t have a first-round pick and won’t draft until midway through the third round, the 49ers and Seahawks joined the Cardinals in upgrading on the offensive side of the ball on Thursday.
Here’s a snapshot of their first-round picks.
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San Francisco 49ers: Mike McGlinchey, OT, 9th overall
It makes sense that after signing Garoppolo to a long-term deal that San Francisco would want to shore up its offensive line. The tackle out of Notre Dame could end up as a backup in his rookie season with Joe Staley and Trent Brown at left and right tackle, but each could be on the way out sooner rather than later.
Staley is 34, while the 25-year-old Brown is coming off a shoulder injury and reaches free agency next year.
Fun fact: The Athletic’s Vic Tafur reported San Francisco’s selection of McGlinchey, who was projected as a mid-round first-round choice, helped Arizona trade up and land Rosen. That’s because the Oakland Raiders were keen on McGlinchey, but with him off the board, ended up nabbing another tackle in UCLA’s Kolton Miller at No. 15, the pick the Cardinals traded.
Seattle Seahawks: Rashaad Penny, RB, 27th overall
Penny, the 5-foot-11, 220-pounder out of San Diego State, was ranked by ESPN as the fifth-best running back on the board, but he ended up being the second back off the board after Penn State’s Saquon Barkley went to the New York Giants second overall.
Penny rushed for 2,248 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior, averaging 7.8 yards per carry. He piled up 216 yards on a season-high 12.0 yards per carry on Sept. 9, 2017, and that was just his fourth-best game in terms of total yardage this season.
Fun fact: Penny is the younger brother of Cardinals running back Ellijhaa Penny.
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