Running backs still showing up most frequently in Arizona Cardinals’ mock drafts
The NFL Draft in Chicago is a little more than two weeks away and the vast majority of experts still have the Arizona Cardinals taking a running back with the 24th overall selection of the first round.
The Adrian Peterson trade talk — at least involving Arizona — has cooled, but running back remains a need for Bruce Arians’ team heading into 2015.
With an abundance of running backs available, almost 66 percent of the mock drafts tracked by Arizona Sports this month have the Cardinals going that way on April 30.
The most common projection for Arizona at number 24 is Todd Gurley from Georgia, who showed up on 10 of 32 April mock drafts.
Gurley ran for 911 yards last season at Georgia, but had his junior campaign cut short by a NCAA infractions suspension and a torn ACL suffered in November in a win over Auburn. He finished his career with 3,285 yards and 36 touchdowns on 510 carries.
Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin, who ran for 2,586 yards as a junior in 2014, appears on eight mocks, including the latest projections by CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco, SI’s Peter King and Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
A third running back, Jay Ajayi of Boise State, appears on the mock of CBS Sports’ Will Brinson, who has both Gurley and Gordon off the board by the time the Cardinals are on the clock.
Kentucky edge rusher Bud Dupree, and Florida State interior offensive lineman Cam Erving each show up on two mock drafts linked to the Cardinals, while LSU cornerback Jalen Collins, Florida State defensive lineman Eddie Goldman and Missouri pass rusher Shane Ray appear twice.
The Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker is updated daily. Check it often to keep tabs on all the latest projections as we inch closer to the NFL Draft.
