Ranking the NFL Draft priorities, needs for the Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals’ roster has been thinned out by heavy roster turnover over the last two seasons and offseasons.

Depth has been an issue, and missed draft picks have played a part of that. Too many one-year signings of over-the-hill vets have hurt chances for long-term team building.

The 2019 season, however, saw Arizona take steps forward in building continuity. The Cardinals leaned on younger players to take on big roles and grow, and many of those players return this year. Younger veterans, who may not be starters, are back to build continuity under second-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury.

General manager Steve Keim attacked free agency aggressively, adding DeAndre Hopkins as a top weapon and signing three players who slot into starting roles on the defensive front seven.

Drafting Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons with the No. 8 pick on Thursday added a player who can move around from the safety spots, to the linebacker slots or act as a slot cover man. Snapping up offensive tackle Josh Jones out of Houston on Friday in the third round filled perhaps the biggest team need.

The Cardinals will continue to draft the best available player. Having said that, there are a few positions of need that the Cardinals might want to address throughout the draft.

Here is a tiered look at the draft priorities for Arizona with arrows next to each position group indicating if a need has been addressed in the draft to this point.

Starting-quality player needed ASAP

Cornerback

Patrick Peterson is entering a contract year, and who knows if he and the team can smoothly navigate extending his tenure in Arizona after a tumultuous past two seasons? He and Robert Alford will both be in their 30s by the time 2020 starts, and the latter has struggled with ankle injuries in 2018 and 2019.

Second-year defensive back Byron Murphy, the Cardinals say, is best as a slot defender, and while third-year corner Chris Jones flashed, the team could use a sure-fire starter to wait in the wings or be ready to step in due to injury this year.

One injury and they’ve got problems

Running back

As of now, Kenyan Drake is only back on a one-year tag. Chase Edmonds is a high-level No. 2 back, but after that it’s only D.J. Foster backing them up. Kingsbury said that the 2019 season and its injuries showed just how important it is to have a third back on the roster who won’t drop off in production. The Cardinals don’t have it at this point and need a young player in case Drake leaves.

There are options, but a draft pick could challenge to start

Wide receiver

Even if Kingsbury doesn’t go 10-personnel with four receivers as much as we think he wants to, there are still depth questions. Who is the No. 3 receiver after an injury or once Larry Fitzgerald retires?

Betting on the gritty Trent Sherfield or one or two of the second-year pros in Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson might work out fine. Getting a clear-cut No. 3 or even No. 4 later in a 2020 draft that should be deep with receiver talent, however, could be on the mind of Keim even in the later rounds.

They should be OK

Defensive lineman Leki Fotu (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Interior defensive line ↓

There’s an open starting role that currently could mean a fight for snaps between fourth-round 2020 choice Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence, plus second-year pro Zach Allen and re-signed DE Jonathan Bullard. After that, 2019 seventh-round pick Michael Dogbe and undrafted Miles Brown are among the depth.

Offensive tackle ↓

Justin Murray wasn’t too shabby in 12 starts last year, and expect Marcus Gilbert — Kingsbury said he was the best offensive lineman in camp last offseason — to come for Murray’s starting role after rehabbing from a torn ACL all of 2019. Both are capable if healthy, but that’s a big concern considering Gilbert’s injury history. Beyond that, both are on one-year contracts.

Re-signing two familiar faces was inexpensive insurance. After skipping on a tackle in the first round, Arizona using the 72nd overall pick on Jones gives them solid depth. Brett Toth and 2019 seventh-round pick Josh Miles provide even more.

Inside linebacker ↓

Adding Simmons effectively moved this position and safety from “One injury and they’ve got problems” down to this safe category.

Jordan Hicks enters his second year leading Arizona’s defense, and free agent addition De’Vondre Campbell should help solidify the second level with capable coverage skills and a physical run-stopping ability. Simmons could fill in for either, and behind him, Tanner Vallejo plus special teams aces Dennis Gardeck and Zeke Turner are next up.

Safety ↓

Two-time Pro Bowler Budda Baker enters a contract year, and the Cardinals have not addressed the other safety spot after supplemental draft pick Jalen Thompson grabbed hold of a starting role to end 2019. He took major steps forward and avoided major breakdowns, and Baker and Simmons can help change things up depending on the look.

Last year’s fifth-round pick, Deionte Thompson, and special teams ace Chris Banjo are nice fallback options as well.

Outside linebacker ↓

Devon Kennard is on a multi-year deal, and Chandler Jones is damn good. Haason Reddick needs to redefine his career somehow, and being the third edge rusher is where it could happen. Simmons could also be used here in a pinch if injuries strike.

Tight end

Maxx Williams is back as an elite run-blocking tight end, and it’s time to buy Dan Arnold stock (Kyler Murray screaming “Big Dan!” during his Madden Twitch sessions this summer might tell you how he thinks of the midseason pickup). Obviously, an addition would help, but is there a game-changing tight end in this draft we don’t know about? Darrell Daniels provides depth.

Center/Guard

Even if free agent center A.Q. Shipley isn’t brought back, Mason Cole and Lamont Gaillard should be able to provide Arizona with shotgun snaps.

Justin Pugh and J.R. Sweezy have been great when healthy. Gaillard, a second-year pro, and veteran Max Garcia are nice backup options. Plus, it’s possible a tackle pick could slide to guard.

Quarterback

Kyler Murray, Brett Hundley, Drew Anderson and Chris Streveler should provide Arizona with a diverse array of signal-callers for an offensive attack that requires athleticism from its quarterback.

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