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There are many Arizona Cardinals fans that would like the team to draft Alabama guard Chance Warmack with the seventh pick in 2013 NFL Draft. The issue is that teams simply don't draft guards that high. It hasn't happened that a guard has gone in the top 10 since 1997. However, first round guards have a track record of success.
A brief overview of the last nine guards drafted in the first round shows us that guard is a pretty low risk.
Logan Mankins, Davin Joseph, Ben Grubbs, Branden Albert, Mike Iupati, Danny Watkins and James Carpenter are established as great players at their position. The other two -- David DeCastro and Kevin Zeitler -- simply have not had enough time to show either way. Thus far, they are very good.
How many other positions are there where the first round success rate is at or around 100 percent? Keep thinking, it will be around.
Clearly, the issue is not performance. It is about value. In the NFL, some teams have only ever drafted tackles and then moved the slowest ones to guard.
As for the Cardinals, they do need help at guard and at tackle. Many mock drafts have the Cards taking tackle Lane Johnson. He is considered the third best tackle. However, with a tackle, you potentially are addressing two positions. Presumably Johnson would be plugged in at one of the tackle positions. Either Levi Brown or Bobby Massie could be moved to guard as a result. That way, the tackle play could be better and the guard play could be better at all. The third best tackle could have more of an impact om that team than the best guard.
However, that is the question. You can get a guy that could be great at guard, or you can get a tackle.
Will Warmack get drafted by the Cardinals or any other team near the top? We will see soon enough.
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