Cardinals address lingering needs in Mel Kiper Jr.’s 2-round mock draft

You know the NFL Draft is right around the corner when ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is on to his first two-round mock draft of the offseason.

When it comes to the Arizona Cardinals and their first two picks, he certainly got creative addressing a pair of lingering needs after a busy offseason for general manager Monti Ossenfort.

And it all starts with Arizona nabbing Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden at No. 16 overall.

If Arizona can find another top-tier pass catcher to help the aerial game catch up, this offense would be hard to stop. Golden is a great route runner, and he has 4.29 speed to run underneath some Kyler Murray deep balls. He had 58 catches for 987 yards and nine TDs last season, and he’d give the Cards a solid 1-2-3 punch in Harrison, Golden and tight end Trey McBride.

Doubling down on first-round wide receivers after the Cardinals took Marvin Harrison Jr. last year likely wasn’t on everyone’s NFL Draft bingo card at the beginning of the offseason. The same cannot be said for defensive line and pass rusher.

But after making huge splashes this free agency, highlighted by Dalvin Tomlinson, Calais Campbell and Josh Sweat, adding premium first-round talent at those positions is no longer an absolute must.

As Kiper mentioned, Golden would provide Arizona with a speedster that could help space out the offense under Murray and potentially take some of the pressure off Harrison in Year 2.

Could Cardinals get a potential steal in the second round of NFL Draft?

While adding a legit pass catcher wouldn’t hurt, bulking up the offensive line still seems like the safe bet for Arizona in the first round.

That is unless Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Booker is really falling down draft boards like many — including Kiper — believe he is following a lackluster NFL Draft Combine.

At No. 47 overall, Booker seems like a real steal for the Cardinals.

No one gets by Booker in pass protection, and he is also a solid run blocker thanks to his power. He allowed one sack over three seasons at Alabama. This is strong value in the middle of Round 2, and Booker could start as a rookie at right guard.

The Cardinals have a question mark at right guard this year with starter Will Hernandez a free agent and coming off a season-ending knee injury.

Isaiah Adams appears to be the front-runner for the job after starting the final five games of the year, while Jon Gaines II is also in the mix.

At the very least, bringing in Booker would provide some added depth at the position that was hindered by injury last year.

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