ARIZONA CARDINALS

NFL Mock Draft Tracker Week 3: Does a TE make sense for the Cardinals?

Jan 22, 2021, 5:20 PM | Updated: 5:47 pm

Kyle Pitts #84 of the Florida Gators celebrates a touchdown during the game against the Vanderbilt ...

Kyle Pitts #84 of the Florida Gators celebrates a touchdown during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

(Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

The most popular link to the Arizona Cardinals in this week’s crop of NFL mock drafts around the country is tight end Kyle Pitts of Florida.

Let’s get this out of the way: Pitts is a ridiculously talented tight end and was a main cog in Florida’s explosive offense in 2020. He was a consensus All-American, caught 43 passes for 770 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in only eight games. He’s easily the best tight end prospect in this year’s class.

He’d certainly be a weapon for quarterback Kyler Murray in head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s offense if he’s the pick, but does spending the 16th overall pick on a receiving tight end make perfect sense?

Cardinals quarterbacks have completed just 88 passes to tight ends over Kingsbury’s two seasons at the helm. In 2020, Dan Arnold had a decent year with 31 catches for 438 yards and four touchdowns, but based on how much the team raved about him during training camp, one could argue he was still under-utilized.

Is an elite-level pass-catching tight end what was missing?

Again, I think Pitts is destined for a great NFL career and looked unstoppable in a Gators uniform, but as it stands right now, the Cardinals could have bigger needs when April rolls around.

Anyway, Pitts showed up in four of the 23 mocks added this week and is still the second-most common player linked to the Cardinals behind South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn, who has appeared in 11 mocks at No. 16.

Other players showing up in more than one mock this week were Miami edge rusher Gregory Rousseau, Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey and Michigan edge defender Kwity Payne.

Arizona Sports 2021 NFL Mock Draft Tracker

Date Outlet Author Mock Draft Cardinals pick at #16
Jan 22 NFL.com Daniel Jeremiah Daniel Jeremiah 2021 NFL mock draft 1.0: Zach Wilson to Jets Jaelen Phillips, Edge, Miami,FL
Jan 22 Baltimore Sun C.J. Doon 2021 NFL mock draft (Version 2.0): First-round projections ahead of conference championship weekend Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 22 AtlantaFalcons.com Matthew Tabeek Tabeek’s 2021 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Jets trade for Deshaun Watson, Falcons secure future at QB Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Jan 22 Stanford Daily Shan Reddy Reddy’s 2021 NFL Mock Draft 1.0 Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 22 Walter Football Charlie Campbell 2021 NFL Mock Draft – Charlie Campbell Kwity Payne, Edge, Michigan
Jan 22 Drafttek Staff 2021 NFL Mock Draft Revision #13-B Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
Jan 21 CBS Sports Josh Edwards 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Jets acquire Deshaun Watson, trade Sam Darnold to the NFC Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 20 CBS Sports Chris Trapasso 2021 NFL Mock Draft: How the first round unfolds if Jets trade for Deshaun Watson Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
Jan 20 Pro Football Network Zach Segars Segars’ First Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
Jan 20 Walter Football Walter Cherepinsky 2021 NFL Mock Draft Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 20 San Diego Union-Tribune Eddie Brown 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Two rounds! Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Jan 19 CBS Sports Ryan Wilson 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Steelers, Panthers trade up for QBs as five go off the board in first 10 picks Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami, FL
Jan 19 Athlon Sports Bryan Fischer 2021 NFL Mock Draft: First-Round Predictions (Updated) Kwity Payne, Edge, Michigan
Jan 19 College Football News Pete Fiutak 2021 NFL Mock Draft, Team Needs: College Football Perspective, January Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami, FL
Jan 18 CBS Sports Chris Trapasso 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Texans trade Deshaun Watson to Dolphins and take Zach Wilson, Saints go receiver Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 18 Sporting News Vinnie Iyer NFL mock draft 2021: Justin Fields falls to Falcons after Jets skip QB; Saints, Browns get consolation prizes Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, USC
Jan 18 Pro Football Network Matthew Valdovinos Valdovinos’ 3-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft Gregory Rousseau, Edge, Miami, FL
Jan 18 Akron Beacon-Journal Dan Kadar 2021 NFL mock draft: Trevor Lawrence is the obvious No. 1 pick Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 18 Draft Kings Collin Sherwin and David Fucillo Trevor Lawrence one of three QBs in top 10 of 2021 NFL mock draft following Divisional round Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
Jan 18 NJ.com Chris Franklin NFL 2021 Draft: Jets’ big decision at No. 2; Eagles eye DeVonta Smith or Ja’Marr Chase; Justin Fields sliding | Full 1st-round mock projection Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 18 NFL Spin Zone Cody Williams 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Bears, Falcons, 49ers all join QB rat race Joseph Ossai, Edge, Texas
Jan 17 Drafttek Staff 2021 NFL Mock Draft Revision #13-A Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma
Jan 14 San Diego Union-Tribune Eddie Brown 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Two rounds! Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 14 NBC Sports Chicago Glynn Morgan 2021 NFL Mock Draft 18.0: Mac Jones shoots up draft, Justin Fields falls Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 14 Jaguars.com John Oehser Mock Draft 1.0: The Jaguars “select…” Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Jan 13 Walter Football Charlie Campbell 2021 NFL Mock Draft – Campbell Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Jan 13 CBS Sports Chris Trapasso 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Texans trade Deshaun Watson to Dolphins, Houston picks Zach Wilson at No. 3 overall Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 13 Pro Football Network Ben Rolfe Rolfe’s First-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft Jayson Oweh, Edge, Penn State
Jan 13 Walter Football Walter Cherepinsky 2021 NFL Mock Draft Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 12 CBS Sports Ryan Wilson 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Patriots land QB, Dolphins add two Alabama stars to help Tua Tagovailoa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
Jan 12 The Athletic Dane Brugler Two-round 2021 NFL mock draft: Four QBs early, DeVonta Smith reunites with Tua Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 12 Sporting News Vinnie Iyer NFL mock draft 2021: Projecting where Alabama, Ohio State players will land in first round Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 11 CBS Sports Chris Trapasso 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Seven receivers go in Round 1, Broncos pick Kwity Paye to replace Von Miller Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC
Jan 11 Pro Football Focus Anthony Treash 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Dolphins select QB Justin Fields with Pick No. 3, 49ers send Pick No. 12 to Miami for QB Tua Tagovailoa Patrick Surtain II, CB, Alabama
Jan 11 Bleacher Report Joseph Zucker NFL Mock Draft 2021: Post-CFP Championship Predictions for 1st-Round Prospects Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
Jan 11 NJ.com Mike Kaye NFL Draft 2021: Justin Fields or Penei Sewell No. 2 to Jets? Ja’Marr Chase or DeVonta Smith to Eagles? 3 QBs in top 5 Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
Jan 10 The Draft Network Brentley Weissman Weissman’s 2021 NFL Mock Draft 4.0 Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
Jan 10 Pro Football Network Ian Cummings Cummings’ 3-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 8 Pro Football Network Jarrett Bailey Bailey’s First-Round 2021 NFL Mock Draft Kwity Payne, Edge, Michigan
Jan 8 The Spun Dan Lyons 2021 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: Who Will The Jaguars, Jets, Dolphins, Etc. Take? Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 8 Drafttek Staff 2021 NFL Mock Draft Revision #12-B Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 7 The Draft Network Joe Marino Marino’s 2021 NFL Mock Draft 4.2 Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 7 ESPN Todd McShay NFL mock draft 2021: Todd McShay’s predictions for all 32 first-round picks following the regular season Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson
Jan 7 Fox Sports Jason McIntyre NFL Mock Draft 5.0 Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Jan 7 NBC Sports Chicago Glynn Morgan 2021 NFL Mock Draft 17.0: Justin Fields falls, Bears don’t pick QB Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama
Jan 7 CBS Sports Josh Edwards 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks taken with first four picks after two teams trade up Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina
Jan 7 San Diego Union-Tribune Eddie Brown 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Two-round projections Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 6 CBS Sports Chris Trapasso 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Broncos pick Kwity Paye to replace Von Miller, seven receivers go in Round 1 Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC
Jan 5 CBS Sports Ryan Wilson 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Dolphins take QB after Tua continues to struggle, Eagles use No. 6 pick on receiver Jayson Oweh, Edge, Penn State
Jan 5 Athlon Sports Bryan Fischer 2021 NFL Mock Draft: First-Round Predictions Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida
Jan 5 USA Today Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz NFL mock draft 2021: Justin Fields, Zach Wilson among five QBs in first-round projection Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama
Jan 4 Newsday Nick Klopsis 2021 NFL mock draft 1.0: The first 18 picks Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia
Jan 4 SB Nation James Dator 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Complete first round Alijah Vera-Tucker, OG, USC
Jan 4 Pro Football Focus Michael Renner 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Jets settle on Zach Wilson, 49ers move up for Justin Fields Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

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