Cardinals take linebacker in latest ESPN mock draft; two Arizona Wildcats mocked in 1st round

After winning four straight games, the Cardinals have been on the wrong end of their last three and have fallen to 6-7 on the season. While letting the division lead slip away was not in the cards, Arizona may end up with a better draft pick than it anticipated just a few weeks ago.

The team’s defense has been decimated by injuries in 2024 and ESPN’s latest 2025 NFL mock draft has the Cardinals picking up a player who can address that need and help the Cardinals on that side of the ball.

ESPN’s Field Yates projected the Cardinals to take Georgia linebacker/edge Jalon Walker in the first round with the 16th overall pick.

The 6-foot-2, 245-pound junior has played in all 13 games for the Bulldogs this season and has recorded 57 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks with two fumble recoveries and a pass breakup this season.

Praised for his versatility, Walker is a player who can play both as an inside linebacker and as an edge rusher.

Per Pro Football Focus, Walker has played 283 snaps in the box, 230 on the defensive line and 60 as the slot corner in 2024.

The Cardinals have made significant progress this season, but can we get them some juice off the edge? No Cardinals defender has more than 4.5 sacks this season, and their sack leader in 2023 was Dennis Gardeck at six. Walker is an intriguing prospect because he is tied for the Georgia team lead in sacks this season (6.5) while playing more snaps as a standup inside linebacker than at edge rusher. Given the value of edge players in today’s NFL, Walker could easily become a full-time player in that role — but the versatility is also a fantastic part of his game.

Walker won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker on Wednesday.

Arizona Wildcats’ Tetairoa McMillan to the Tennessee Titans in ESPN’s NFL mock draft

Arizona Wildcats star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was nabbed by the Tennessee Titans in Yates’ mock draft, going No. 7 overall.

McMillan finished third in the FBS with 1,319 receiving yards on 84 catches in 2024. His 7.0 receptions per game rank 11th in the FBS, and he caught eight touchdown passes during the season.

The junior became the program’s all-time receiving leader this year with 3,423 career receiving yards, passing Bobby Wade.

There have been some recent signs of improvement from Will Levis, though I don’t believe a quarterback investment here by Tennessee can be totally discounted. But there just isn’t a third quarterback after Sanders and Ward who I believe merits consideration this high. Plus, the Titans have to find another wide receiver to complement Calvin Ridley — the only pass catcher over 400 yards this season — in this offense.

McMillan is a smooth big-bodied wideout with exceptional route-running skills and a huge catch radius. His ability to run the entire route tree at 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds makes him a very distinctive talent, and he has totaled 84 catches for 1,319 yards and eight TDs this season.

McMillan declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday.

Rick Hunley was the highest player out of the University of Arizona ever drafted. The linebacker went No. 7 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984.

Arizona Wildcats’ Jonah Savaiinaea mocked to the Houston Texans

Wildcats offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea was the second Wildcat to be mocked by Yates, slipping to the Houston Texans at No. 22.

The 6-foot-5, 336-pound junior has been a key contributor since his freshman season in 2022, starting all 36 games he played in for the Wildcats.

Savaiinaea recorded a pass-blocking grade of 83.4 and a run-blocking grade of 62.8 this season, per Pro Football Focus.

His versatility is one of his best attributes. He has experience at right tackle and started there this past season until a season-ending injury to Rhino Tapa’atoutai moved him to left tackle.

Savaiinaea played 345 snaps at left tackle and 364 snaps at right tackle in 2024. In 2023 with Jordan Morgan positoned at left tackle, Savaiinaea also recorded 693 snaps at right tackle and 195 snaps at right guard.

As the Texans work to fix their porous interior offensive line, Savaiinaea — an offensive tackle who could slide inside in the pros — would provide some immediate relief. This is a value relative to my personal rankings (No. 15 overall), and Savaiinaea brings a ton of versatility to the table. He split time this season between right and left tackle but previously played guard for the Wildcats. Savaiinaea has light feet and a huge frame, packing as much power as any lineman in the class.

The offensive tackle declared for the 2025 NFL Draft on Sunday.

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