SB Nation released its weekly projections for the NFL Draft and there was a little movement. Quarterbacks Blaine Gabbert and Cam Newton all go before the Cardinals select at number five, as does Von Miller. There also is a lot of movement with regards to quarterbacks overall. As for the Arizona Cardinals, they get one of the guys we have considered our top four on our community draft board, landing LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The logic for the pick in the mock draft is this:
Newton, Gabbert and Miller all make a great deal of sense for the Cardinals (and not necessarily in that order). With all three gone, it's Peterson, the draft's best athlete, that is the right fit for Arizona, who would readily team him with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
You will notice that the SB Nation sentiment does not mirror our community here. I get the feeling from the vocal members here that you don't want anything to do with Cam Newton. I don't share the same feelings, although I don't know if Whisenhunt would mesh with him. He seems to butt heads with players with "star potential" (Matt Leinart, Beanie Wells). But the national sentiment is that if one of the QBs is there and Von Miller is not, the Cards would take the QB, maybe even if Miller were not off the board.
As for the rest of the NFC West, the 49ers are projected again to get Prince Amukamara and the Rams once again draft Julio Jones. The surprise is the selection for the Seahawks. They go with Florida State's Christian Ponder, making him the fourth QB drafted in the first round. Jake Locker is projected to go to the Jaguars at number 16, while Cam Newton is selected number one overall and Gabbert goes to the Bengals at number four.
Just a little more than three weeks away...and then the projections are turned into reality.