Based on what is being said about the Arizona Cardinals this offseason and the 2022 NFL draft, a wide receiver must be their first selection.
With the 23rd overall pick in the draft, they vcry well could select a receiver. However, it is no lock.
There are other intriguing players at many other positions.
In a new mock draft of the first round by USA TODAY’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, the Cardinals go with a defensive player as their first-round pick for the third year in a row, landing Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.
Arizona is in an awkward spot as a playoff team saddled with an unusual amount of roster holes. While a cornerback or edge rusher could come into play here to boost the pass defense, the best answer might be taking Wyatt, who is just beginning to tap into his immense potential as an interior disruptor with a rapid first step.
The Cardinals do have a number of needs to fill, but with the 23rd pick, it is nearly impossible to target one position in particular.
We should know how much general manager Steve Keim loves a good defensive tackle. The Cardinals drafted Robert Nkemdiche in the first round in 2016 and he coveted Quinnen Williams in 2019 and Derrick Brown in 2020.
Wyatt could make an impact immediately, as the Cardinals love to rotate defensive linemen during games.
Receivers Jameson Williams and Treylon Burks are still on the board in this mock draft, but Williams is coming off a torn ACL and Burks might not be a fit for the cardinals because he was used the way Rondale Moore was in college.
A defensive lineman might not be the most exciting pick, but a player like Wyatt would make an impactful different on the Arizona defense for years.
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