Amid all the free agency talk, it would be easy to forget the NFL Draft. However, not SB Nation's Mocking the Draft. Together, both Matthew Fairburn and Dan Kadar mocked the first three rounds of this year's draft, covering Day 1 and Day 2.
With the first overall pick of the draft, the Texans nab QB Teddy Bridgewater, but we are going to focus on the Arizona Cardinals and the three picks that are projected to go their way.
In the first round, we see a name that has yet to be a common one for the Cardinals to take -- Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy -- a name that doesn't come up much in connection with the Cardinals.
Passing on an offensive tackle would be a difficult proposition for the Cardinals. But at the combine, general manager Steve Keim talked about the importance of having interchangeable pieces on defense. That's what Ealy would provide Arizona. He showed at Missouri he can blitz from the edge and the middle. But he's also athletic enough to shift out to linebacker.
In the second round, with the 52nd pick overall, the Cardinals take tackle Ja"waun James.
The Cardinals need to get talent on the offensive line. While James exclusively played right tackle for Tennessee, that may have simply been a symptom of the Volunteers' talent on the line. If D.J. Fluker can play left tackle for the Chargers, James should get a shot as well.
In the third round, it is back again to defense with Wisconsin inside linebacker Chris Borland.
Although the Cardinals just drafted Kevin Minter last year, Borland is a player who is good enough to get on the field in some fashion. He's a tone-setting team leader and largely best player available in this scenario.
Tell us what you think of these picks and why.