It is the first of what will be many mock draft simulation Saturdays. Each Saturday, I will run a simulation for the Arizona Cardinals, attempting to play out different scenarios.
In this simulation, it is three rounds and there are three trades for the Cardinals.
Let’s take a look at the results and how things went down.
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Trade back to No. 9
Cardinals trade No. 3 to Panthers, receive No. 9, No. 39, No. 93, 2024 second-rounder
Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson goes first overall in this mock draft simulation, which changes things for the Cardinals.
It is too high to draft Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter after his legal issues and there are questions about taking an interior defender with so little pass-rushing production.
Do they take Texas Tech pass rusher Tyree Wilson? That is a possibility, but instead, they trade back with the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina gets to select QB C.J. Stroud and the Cardinals move back six spots, pick up two Day 2 picks in this draft and a second-round pick in 2024.
Round 1: Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon
Witherspoon is 6-feet and 180 pounds with elite movement skills. He could be s shutdown corner at the next level.
His defensive metric numbers were elite.
Still deciding who my favorite CB in this class is, but leaning in the direction of Illinois' Devon Witherspoon. Gave up 22 catches on 63 targets for 206 yards, 71 YAC, 0TD, 3INT, 14 PBU, and an opponent passer rating of 25.0.
The movement skills for a 6'0" DB are kind of nuts. pic.twitter.com/PZWLiqNU3V
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) January 24, 2023
Round 2: Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith
The Cardinals still get an athletic pass rusher and a defender from the national champions in the second round. Smith is 6-foot-2 and 238 pounds and fast. He ran the 40 in 4.39 seconds, becoming one of the stars of the combine on Thursday.
He only had 7.5 total sacks and 15 tackles for loss over the last two seasons but has the build, athleticism and skillset to play the rush linebacker position that Haason Reddick did for the Eagles in 2022. The Cardinals are expected to have a defense that looks like the Eagles’ unit with Jonathan Gannon as head coach and Nick Rallis as defensive coordinator.
Trade back in 2nd round
Cardinals trade No. 39 to Browns, receive No. 42, No. 111
I make a Patriots-like trade, moving down three spots and picking up a fourth-round pick.
Round 2: TCU OL Steve Avila
The Cardinals need players at all three interior offensive line spots. Avila will fit right in.
Round 3: UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet
The Cardinals could use a running back along with James Conner.
Charbonnet is big at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds. He rushed for 1,359 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022 for UCLA, averaging 7.0 yards per attempts. He rushed for 1,359 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2022 for UCLA on 7.0 yards per attempt.
He also caught 37 passes for 321 yards, so he is productive in the passing game, too.
Round 3: LSU DL Jaquelin Roy
With the 93rd pick in the draft, their compensatory pick, they land a plug-and-play defender. Roy is 6-foot-2 and 305 pounds. He has no negative traits but is also not give big numbers. He eats space and blockers.
Round 3: Wisconsin EDGE Nick Herbig
The Cardinals already drafted a pass rusher but Herbig is sitting there and had production. He had 11 sacks for Wisconsin and 15.5 tackles for loss.
He is smaller at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds. He doesn’t have super athletic traits but just ate up tackles and blockers in college.
He would likely play that rush linebacker position the Cardinals will likely have in 2023, similar to what Haason Reddick played in 2022 for the Eagles.
