Three things we learned from the Arizona Cardinals 2017 NFL Draft

With the 2017 NFL Draft coming and going, there is much to discuss and project.

However, before we get to discussing things, we need to talk about what actually happened in the 2017 NFL Draft and what we learned about the Arizona Cardinals in the process.

1. Versatility is king for the Arizona Cardinals:

They drafted Haason Reddick over Reuben Foster and immediately sighted his versatility. He is getting compared to a Von Miller. After the Cardinals compared Foster to Patrick Willis, they needed a lofty comparison for Reddick. I think what matters more is that Reddick gives positional flexibility, can play inside, outside, rush the passer and drop into coverage.

Budda Baker is a Ty Mathieu type free safety, strong safety, and slot cornerback.

Chad Williams is able to line up outside, inside and win from multiple positions.

Will Holden can be a swing left or right tackle and a guard.

T.J. Logan can be a dynamic kick returner, third down back and potentially work into the slot at receiver.

Rudy Ford is another safety, cornerback combo type.

Versatility is king.

2. Dorian Johnson was too good of value to pass up:

Something interesting that was passed along to me, Johnson was taken off multiple boards because of the concern over his liver issues.

A couple of people I spoke with said that their teams who took interior offensive lineman on day two had Johnson graded higher than players that were picked, but knew the liver was a concern.

The Cardinals like Johnson, not enough to take him on day two, but enough to risk a day three pick on a player that would have been a top 50 pick if his medicals came back clear.

3. The Arizona Cardinals know the cost of getting a quarterback in 2018

The Arizona Cardinals picked in the top 15 for only the second time in Steve Keim and Bruce Arians era and the first time when they were actually making decisions.

That didn’t help in their quest to find a replacement for Carson Palmer.

Mitch Trubisky went second overall, the Kansas City Chiefs gave up a future first and third, including their 27th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and the Houston Texans moved up from 25 to 12 for their 2018 first round pick.

At worst, we are expecting the 2017 Arizona Cardinals to be a playoff team, if the quarterbacks are as good as being billed, they are not right now and I’ll explain that on Friday, it will cost the Arizona Cardinals a 2018 and 2019 first round pick.

Here is my thought: That is going to be more expensive because there is a greater chance of the Cardinals being worse in 2018 than in 2017, at least to me. If that is the case, would they really be willing to move a 2018 first rounder when they were not willing to move a 2017?

Also, this is all assuming there are at least three prospects worth top 12 picks next year. Even if we assume every single draft eligible prospect comes out, the teams that we know will need QB’s in the 2018 NFL Draft are the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. Teams that may need quarterbacks include the Washington Redskins, Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills and potentially the Jacksonville Jaguars. Teams that could draft a quarterback that just did include the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings. Finally, you never know what the Patriots will do.

That is 12 teams, 13 if you include the Cardinals.

That means even if half those teams need quarterbacks, that the Cardinals would need to be worse than or have the ability to trade up to a position that allows them to get “their guy”. That also assumes that all of these players progress (they won’t), that all these players declare (they won’t) and that the Cardinals will like multiple quarterbacks in that class (they won’t).

I guess we should start looking at the 2019 quarterback class.

Bonus note that was passed along that may only interest me:

The Cardinals allegedly had two avenues to attack to get a quarterback, both fell through. They allegedly tried to move up from 13 and the teams wanted a future first. There was also scuttle that one team picking in the top ten would have taken a quarterback (I am guess Trubisky) and would have made a veteran available, (Bortles, Rivers, Tyrod Taylor?)

Both fell through, the Cardinals couldn’t trade up to get Mahomes (?) or Lattimore (?) or insure they got Reddick, and the mystery team didn’t get the crack at the quarterback they wanted. I asked what it was going to cost the Cardinals to get the vet and the response was, not an early pick, so... There’s that.