ESPN’s Matt Miller has Cardinals taking two CBs in Mock Draft

A month removed from a season where the Arizona Cardinals allowed the fourth-highest completion percentage in the league last season at 68.6%, ESPN’s analyst Matt Miller has the organization doubling down on defensive backs in his latest two-round mock NFL Draft.

Miller has the Cardinals taking Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 16 pick in the first round, followed by Shavon Revel Jr. out of East Carolina with the No. 47 pick in Round 2.

Despite the Cardinals’ needs at different positions — highlighted by pass rusher — Miller thinks Barron could complement veteran safety Budda Baker, who is coming off his best year as a pro.

Barron won the Jim Thorpe award in 2024, which is given to the best defensive back in college football. He logged 67 tackles, five interceptions, one sack and 11 passes defended in his award-winning year.

The Cardinals could go a number of directions with wide receiver, cornerback and defensive end all being issues. Barron took home the Jim Thorpe Award … after making a move from slot cornerback to the outside before the 2024 season. He had five interceptions and 10 pass breakups, and he boosted his profile from a Day 3 pick to one of my top 15 players in the class. Some teams might view him as an inside corner, while others like Barron’s tape on the outside. Playing him on the inside with Budda Baker gives the Cardinals instant improvement on the back end.

Cardinals add Shavon Revel Jr. in Round 2 of latest mock draft

Revel played in three games before a torn ACL derailed his 2024. He recorded eight tackles, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and two passes defended in the short showing.

A year prior, he had registered 54 total tackles, 13 passes defended with one interception and one sack. He also returned a fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Like Morrison, there was first-round talk around Revel before he suffered a torn ACL in September. … At 6-foot-3, 193 pounds, Revel has the size and speed to be the matchup cornerback the Cardinals are lacking.

Two Arizona Wildcats go in the top-64

Miller had Arizona’s standout wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan going to the New Orleans Saints with the ninth overall pick.

McMillan gives the Saints a wide receiver who can stretch the field and complement Chris Olave. McMillan finished 2024 with 84 receptions for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns. In his sophomore campaign in 2023, McMillan recorded 90 receptions for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Chris Olave is great when healthy (he played only eight games this past season), but the Saints lack impact receivers beyond him. That’s why the 6-foot-5 McMillan could fit. He can win deep down the field and gain even more yards after the catch. His range and ability to win 50-50 balls reminds me of the Falcons’ Drake London, who was a first-round pick in 2022. There is concern about McMillan’s pull-away speed at the pro level, so how he runs at the combine will be important for his draft stock. But he’s one of the best receivers in this class going off tape alone, finishing third in the country with 1,319 receiving yards in 2024.

Offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea is the other Wildcat listed in Miller’s mock draft. He goes 27th overall to the Baltimore Ravens as Savaiinaea gives Baltimore a younger look in the trenches.

Wide receiver would be an ideal pick if Baltimore signs left tackle Ronnie Stanley before he hits free agency, but the top five options on my board are gone, and there’s no early-Round 2 players worth reaching for here. Instead, Baltimore could get a replacement for free agent guard Patrick Mekari in the powerful and versatile Savaiinaea. Savaiinaea has experience at left tackle, right guard and right tackle, and the 6-foot-4, 339-pounder has 34 5/8-inch arms. He’d also give the Ravens more youth up front, where rookie Roger Rosengarten excelled this season.