Arizona Cardinals may not need a wide receiver early in 2017 NFL Draft

One of the first article I ever wrote for Revenge of the Birds was the Bruce Arians receiver profile.

It is simple, Arians likes a particular type of wide receiver:

1. How fast are they?

a. Anything under 4.5 gets a star to pay attention to their pro day and if the Cardinals are present.

b. Anything under 4.4 gets an immediate, "he’s in play" tag.

2. How big are they?

a. The Cardinals have a slew of big receivers, could they be looking for something different?

b. Most big guys don’t play with the same speed on game day as they do in shorts, except for the truly special that go in the first round.

c. Arians hasn’t drafted a plus six foot receiver since 2008, but he’s been on teams that have drafted six wide receivers in the last five drafts. Once we get the numbers, then it’s back to the tape, like the team will do, and to make sure those times are not just track speed, but track speed that translates to the game.

So... Does it make sense that the Arizona Cardinals would be happy with their wide receiver room?

I think so simply because there isn’t a receiver who really fits the profile that Arians likes early.

Maybe he will change that, but he still has Larry Fitzgerald on the roster, Jaron Brown is coming back and Aaron Dobson was brought in.

What Arians craves is another fast wide receiver.

John Ross is obviously unique because he is faster than anyone ever, but would they take him at 13? Arians seems to say no.

Curtis Samuel
KD Cannon
Michael Rector
Stacy Coley
Carlos Henderson

Those are the names that make sense as the smaller, versatile, speed wide receivers.

If Arians wants to go bigger, there are some options this year with elite speed:

Josh Malone
Chris Godwin
Zay Jones
Amara Darboh
Robert Davis

Either way, ouside of Samuel and Jones, the Cardinals could have some interesting choices available from pick 77 on.