Another Schrager NFL mock draft, another Cardinals trade-up
Apr 20, 2021, 9:17 AM | Updated: 6:23 pm

Jaylen Waddle #17 of the Crimson Tide runs on his way to scoring a 51-yard touchdown during the 2018 SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 1, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Good Morning Football host Peter Schrager believes the Arizona Cardinals are going all-in on this offseason.
Hence the J.J. Watt signing, the trade for center Rodney Hudson and the addition of receiver A.J. Green.
Schrager thinks Arizona general manager Steve Keim will continue taking home run swings into the draft.
After Schrager’s first mock draft for NFL.com had the Cardinals trading up in the first round to select Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, his second mock has the team making the exact same trade — a 2022 first- and third-rounder to move from 16th to seventh — although for a different player.
Because Pitts goes No. 4 overall in Schrager’s second mock, Arizona goes with another option by jumping to the Detroit Lions’ original pick to select Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle.
The Cardinals continue their uber-aggressive offseason by acquiring yet another weapon for Kyler Murray to help the franchise emerge from the gauntlet that’s the NFC West. Waddle, whose ankle has fully healed, is seen as tough as nails and an instant-impact player at both WR and on special teams.
Waddle has been a lightly mentioned candidate to land with Arizona in a few mock drafts where the team holds on to its No. 16 pick, but it’s not often projected that the receiver will fall so far down the board.
Arguably, he is the better of the two Alabama receivers expected to be selected in the first round. Unlike Heisman winner DeVonta Smith, Waddle slots in with the Cardinals more cleanly.
At 5-foot-10 with electric speed, he would likely stick as an inside receiver with DeAndre Hopkins and Green on the outside.
Waddle made 25 catches for 557 yards and four touchdowns in his first four games played last season before an ankle injury sidelined him until the national championship game. He caught three balls for 34 yards in the 52-24 title game win against Ohio State.