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Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has preached about trusting the draft board that the team puts together. That draft board is now complete.
In a media session on Thursday to talk about this year's NFL Draft, Keim described the process and declared that the team has its draft board set.
"It's been a long year," he said. We started this process last May with our college scouts who went out and looked at 13,000 names across the college campuses, as seniors and draft eligible juniors, and whittled that down to a little more than 2000 NFL prospects for us. We went to the board with about 591 players and, just this morning, we finished up with 120 players on our draft board. So we'll draft off that board that has 120 players."
More specifically, with their first pick in the draft at number 20, they feel good about the caliber of player they will get.
"I can tell you that, at the top, there are 20 guys we certainly like that will fit us, that will make an impact on our team," said Keim, adding that they are "very excited" for the draft to actually start next Thursday.
120 players in an interesting number. As of right now, the Cardinals' final pick is number 196. Their second to last pick is number 160. Their fourth round pick is number 120. What would happen if all 120 of their players on the board are gone when they come up again in the fifth round? At that point, do they just pull a name out of the hat? Do they just give someone else in the room a turn and then go around the room to someone else to make the pick? Will they phone a friend? Will they call a fan? Do they trade the pick away? Do they use the SB Nation big board (it has 200 players)?
No, that isn't completely serious. It is a small question that I have to see how that really plays out. It is yet another reason to show that the draft has taken too long to get here.
We are at less than a week away!
