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As we head towards the end of the 2018 NFL season and into the 2019 NFL offseason, the eyes of Arizona Cardinals fans will be focused on a number of aspects.
First, it will be if they are searching for a new head coach (likely) and general manager (unlikely), then it will be how they allocate their free agency funds, which will be near the top of the pile in the NFL.
Finally, we’ll wait to see if they use the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, which they currently hold and can only lose if they find a way to win over the next two weeks.
Let’s take an early look at the updated mock drafts that have the Cardinals picking first and what they have the Cardinals doing.
1. Arizona Cardinals | Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
The Cardinals might keep their hands on their phones leading into the draft to potentially move back. They could sell this pick to a bidder looking for a quarterback. (This quarterback class isn’t getting much hype, but they somehow seem to rise up draft boards every year.) If not, the Cardinals can be happy to take Bosa, who should be just as good as his brother — and his brother has been a game-wrecker.
1. Arizona Cardinals: Nick Bosa, DE, Ohio State
Although much of Arizona’s offseason should be dedicated to building around quarterback Josh Rosen, it will be hard to pass up a pass rusher like Bosa. He missed most of the 2018 season after suffering an abdominal injury but he should be ready to for rookie minicamp after the draft.
1. Arizona Cardinals: Nick Bosa
School: Ohio State
Position: Defensive end
Joey’s brother looks like the front-runner for the number one pick despite injuries and his decision to sit out the rest of the 2018 season. The Cardinals’ top needs include receiver and offensive line. They won’t pass on the chance to pair Bosa on the end from Chandler Jones.
1. Arizona Cardinals
Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
Arizona is easily the worst team in the NFL, so it makes sense to see them finally capturing the top spot in the draft. There are so many holes to fix that trading down should be a legitimate option for a king’s ransom, but we’re not quite at the point to predict such a move in a mock draft. For now, Bosa makes a ton of sense opposite Chandler Jones, giving the Cardinals a terrific start toward building a dominant defensive front.
Bosa may be the consensus top player in the draft and when you have the first pick in the draft, with a chance to take a playmaker at a high end position, it is hard to pass.
However, there are some that acknowledge that Bosa is the best, but the Cardinals should pass.
1. Arizona Cardinals
Jonah Williams, OT, Alabama. Protecting Josh Rosen has to be the No. 1 priority in the offseason and Williams has been flawless this season for Alabama. If the Cards can fix the offensive line in free agency then they could use the top pick on the draft’s best player, Nick Bosa.