2018 NFL Mock Draft Monday: 2018 Arizona Cardinals 2 Round Mock Draft

Welcome back to the semi-weekly 2018 NFL Mock Draft exercise we do with the Arizona Cardinals.

Put your GM caps on, get ready for a chance to put your money where your mouth is (in the comments or in a fanpost of your own) and enjoy the chaos.

As always, I’ll be doing one mock draft a week, playing out different scenarios that could come to fruition using the FanSpeak.com On the Clock simulator.

This weeks simulation will be done using the Matt Miller’s big board.

Let’s get to it.

This is a tougher decision than many will think. There are only two options, but Quenton Nelson vs. Denzel Ward vs. Josh Jackson. Ward is a little smaller than Wilks normally likes his corners, but all eyes will be on Jackson’s times at the combine, where anything under 4.5 puts him as a likely top ten pick. Then there is possibly the best player in the draft, at least to me, in Quenton Nelson.

The problem, the real issue is, the fall off from Nelson to Isaiah Wynn or Will Hernandez in the second isn’t that great and the guard position is a little easier to fill than that of the corner position.

However, let’s do the best player here and to me, that’s an easy call:

Round 1 Pick 15: Quenton Nelson, OG Notre Dame

Has a chance to follow in the footsteps of fellow Fighting Irish guard, Zack Martin. Powerful, dynamic and athletic, Nelson would be an absolute steal at 15.

The problem becomes, I did exactly what I was worried about, I got an absolute steal at guard, passed on two talented corners, and now the corners are off the board that fit the Wilks mold. Maybe you can sell me on Tarvarus McFadden.

Yet this one brings me another interesting choice. Grab a linebacker that could really complete the trio and help a potential transition to a 4-3, or get one of the two best weapons left in the draft.

Deon Cain is a dynamic, 6-1, 210lbs wide receiver with down field speed, smooth movements and an ability after the catch.

Then there is Mike Gesicki, a big bodied target who would give the Arizona Cardinals new quarterback a security blanket, be a matchup nightmare in the redzone and grow as a blocker in the run game.

It comes down to what is more needed, a healthy, young athlete at tight end or a big bodied, competitor at wide receiver who looks like a potential high end wide receiver two?

Round 2 Pick Pick 47: Deon Cain, WR Clemson

Cain gives the Cardinals another young player outside, but someone who offers something different in terms of preparedness as a route runner and down field target in the passing game.

This comes to the problem of the draft.

Do you take a Mason Rudolph here because you need a quarterback? Did you already make a big play for Kirk Cousins or bring in a Case Keenum/Sam Bradford for $18 million a year?

It is a tough fight here, but I like coming out of this draft with Nelson and Cain.