ESPN’s Todd McShay has Arizona Cardinals picking pass rusher in latest mock
Mar 30, 2015, 2:51 PM | Updated: 4:35 pm
With the NFL Draft exactly one month away, expect a flood of mock drafts from around the internet in the next 30 days.
ESPN’s Todd McShay released his fourth mock draft Monday (Insider access required), and he has the Arizona Cardinals taking Kentucky edge rusher Alvin “Bud” Dupree with the 24th pick of the first round.
This is something of a luxury pick, as the Cardinals have done a nice job of plugging holes in free agency and don’t have many glaring needs. This is a good spot for Dupree to land, as he’s a raw player right now and would benefit from the veteran leadership of guys like Sean Weatherspoon and LaMarr Woodley. He’d be able to serve as a rotational pass-rusher to help keep guys fresh and do what he does best, which is get up the field and disrupt. There seems to be an emphasis in Arizona on adding more team speed, and Dupree definitely fits the bill: He ran a 4.56 40 with a 1.60 split at 6-4, 269 pounds, and his explosiveness jumps off the tape. I also considered RB Melvin Gordon or a cornerback for the Cardinals here.
In McShay’s mock, Dupree is the fifth OLB/DE off the board behind Florida’s Dante Fowler, Nebraska’s Randy Gregory, Missouri’s Shane Ray and Clemson’s Vic Beasley.
In 2014, Dupree was Kentucky’s second-leading tackler with 74 on the season. He also registered 12.5 tackles for loss and a team-leading 7.5 sacks.
McShay’s last mock draft, released Feb. 26, had the Cardinals selecting Virginia outside linebacker Eli Harold at no. 24.
Check out all the latest projections in Arizona Sports’ Mock Draft Tracker.
