2017 NFL Draft: Players I Want The Cardinals To Take

Let's preface this article with this huge disclaimer: I am NOT an NFL Draft pundit. Not many of us are. That said, that shouldn't stop us from having opinions on players we like and would like to see wearing an Arizona Cardinals uniform. After all, the draft is a very inexact science. If I say I like Player A and the Cardinals draft Player B and Player A is a huge success and Player B is a bust, does that make me smarter than Steve Keim? Of course not.

So, here are a few players that I have kept my eye on throughout the college football season and the pre-draft process that I think would be good players for the Cardinals to look at.

Marcus Williams- Williams, a safety out of Utah, is one of my favorite safety prospects in the draft and I think he would be a great 2nd round selection for the Cards. He is rangy and athletic and would come in with a chance to start immediately. One thing that the Cardinals seemingly lack is a safety that can play deep and make plays on the ball without causing penalties. That guy is Williams. The team has big hitters, such as Tyrann Mathieu, and while Williams isn't necessarily that guy, he is a guy that could compliment other pieces on the defense really well.

Malik McDowell- I have written previously about McDowell a little bit, but didn't really get to gush about why I like him so much. He is an athletic freak (seeing a trend yet among my picks?) and a guy that can cause massive disruption. He reminds me so much of Calais Campbell in that Campbell fell to the 2nd round when he was drafted much because he didn't always dominate in games like he perhaps should have. You can apply that same statement to McDowell. But when his head is in the game, he can be dominant along the defensive line. If Robert Nkemdiche pans out and McDowell becomes what many think he can be, the Cardinals will have a dominant duo up front for years to come.

Kevin King- I have made it abundantly clear that I think the Cardinals need help at the cornerback position, and most people would probably agree with me. Justin Bethel isn't the answer and Brandon Williams may never develop. Kevin King out of the University of Washington could, potentially, step in from day one and start. He has prototypical size for a corner (and we know the Cards love tall corners) and excellent ball skills. He could fall to the Cardinals at pick 45 and be a perfect selection.

Hunter Dimick- Now we are getting to the really late round guys. Dimick could conceivably go as early as the 6th round, but could easily be a UDFA as well. He is not a physical freak that will necessarily be able to beat strong and athletic tackles off the edge, but if you put him and Markus Golden on the field at the same time, you may confuse the two outside linebackers for a track team. Dimick has no quit in his game and is relentless in his pursuit. If you can harness that coupled with his extreme intelligence for the game, you may have a nice backup pass rusher to occasionally put on the field or special teams.

Those are just a few players that I really like, but there are definitely more. I am incredibly excited for the draft to begin and, if you are reading this, I know you are too.