The NFL draft is a little more than three weeks away and we continue to get a number of scenarios playing out in mock drafts.
A new three-round mock draft by Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar has the Arizona Cardinals going heavy on defense.
In fact, with the four picks the Cardinals have in the first three rounds, their first three are all defensive players and the last is an offensive lineman.
The picks are below:
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Round 1: Alabama EDGE Will Anderson
In this mock draft, there is no trade of the third pick, making Anderson the no-brainer selection. If the Cardinals are in fact making the pick at three, any other player would feel like a reach.
The Cardinals might be a candidate for trading down with some quarterback-desperate team should either Stroud or Young be available here, but I don’t think that happens, and Jonathan Gannon took over a team with needs everywhere, especially along the defensive line. Anderson will do a lot to help out — not only is he a marvelous edge defender with speed and power, he plays the run well, and he should be a tone-setter from the start of his Cardinals career.
Round 2: Clemson EDGE Myles Murphy
Murphy is projected by many to go higher in the draft and likely in the first round.
The Cardinals double up on edge defenders for the second draft in a row.
Last year, they selected Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders in the third round.
Adding Anderson and Murphy is an interesting decision, but it isn’t necessarily a bad one.
Murphy is more of a fit physically at defensive end at 6-foot-4 1/2 and 268 pounds. He matches physically the defensive ends the Eagles had last season with Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat.
In three seasons for Clemson, Muprhy had 18.5 sacks and 26 tackles for loss.
Round 3: Wisconsin DT
There is no doubt that the Cardinals need help on the defensive line. With the loss of J.J. Watt and Zach Allen, Benton adds some talent with the returning group of Leki Fotu, Rashard Lawrence, Jonathan Ledbetter and the additions of Kevin Strong and Carlos Watkins.
Benton is almost 6-foot-4 and weighed 309 pounds at the combine, and he had 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2022 for the Badgers.
Round 3 (compensatory): Alabama OT Tyler Steen
Steen is 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds. He played left tackle for the Crimson Tide and, before transferring to Alabama, played right tackle as well for Vanderbilt.
He has good size and adequate athleticism.
