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ESPN's Todd McShay released his fourth mock draft on Thursday, four weeks before the actual NFL Draft. His two-round mock is actually surprising.
Before getting to the Cardinals selections, the quarterbacks of the draft fall a bit. The first QB to go is Blake Bortles at pick number four and only two others are taken in the first round -- Johnny Manziel going eighth to the Vikings and Teddy Bridgewater going 11th to the Titans.
Derek Carr, who has been as high as in the top 10 in many mocks previously, doesn't get taken in the first round...or the second round. Tom Savage goes early in the second round, according to McShay.
Another surprise drop is UCLA LB Anthony Barr, who is projected by some to be taken in the top 10 as well. He goes to the Raiders in the second round.
Strange.
As for the Cardinals, they shore up their two biggest defensive needs in their first two picks. With the 20th overall pick, they take Louisville safety Calvin Pryor.
Pryor is a hard-hitting, tone-setting safety with good range for his size and style of play. He'd be a plug-and-play starter at strong safety next to Tyrann Mathieu, and the two would complement each other well in a very talented secondary. Other possibilities at this spot include UCLA OLB Anthony Barr and WR Odell Beckham Jr. One more prospect to keep in mind for Arizona: If QB Teddy Bridgewater were to slip to this point, I think the Cardinals could consider taking him.
So, in Round 1, they fill their safety need. In Round 2, they add to the pass rush from the edge, taking Boise State linebacker Demarcus Lawrence. McShay calls Lawrence a "high upside pass rusher."
Safety? Check. Pass rusher? Check. Potentially they could be the missing pieces to having an elite defense.
They could go with TE Troy Niklas or even BYU OLB Kyle Van Noy in the second round. In the first round, Justin Gilbert is on the board. So is Anthony Barr.
What do you think of McShay's projections?
