Bold Predictions for the Cardinals Heading into NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals made some noise when they traded for DeAndre Hopkins this offseason, adding to an offense that looked pretty dynamic with Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury pulling the strings in 2019. Heading into Thursday night's draft, the Cardinals hold the 8th overall pick.

The Cardinals should avoid drafting one of these bros in the 1st round ❌https://t.co/62wCkpO4Yk
— The Duel (@TheDuelSports) April 12, 2020

Many think that Arizona will use that pick to get a true left tackle of the future for Murray, who was hassled in the pocket his rookie season. Here are some bold predictions for the Cardinals both tonight and the rest of this weekend.

1. Draft Defense in the First

The Cardinals defense needs a player like Isaiah Simmons. / Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images

Many analysts have the Cardinals going tackle at eight or trading down. Some even have them trading up. Whether they trade or not, Arizona could foregoes the tackle position here and draft a defensive playmaker. Some possible options at eight include LB Isaiah Simmons, DT Derrick Brown and CB Jeffrey Okudah (less likely), but trading down may make even more sense if the Cardinals go this direction. Plus it would open the door for the next bold prediction.

2. Draft Another WR in Top 3 Rounds

Even with DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and countless youngsters on the roster already, Kingsbury's eyes another WR to replace Fitz in his spread O. / Christian Petersen/Getty Images

With all the predictions that people make about the NFL Draft, sometimes decisions come down to a simple factor, coaches like what they like, and Kliff Kingsbury likes offensive weaponry. His goal may be to someday have the best offense in all of football, based on the moves he makes. The Cardinals in no way need a wide receiver right now, but the available options in Round 1 through Round 3 might be too juicy for the head coach to pass up. Arizona currently has a first and third-round pick. Whether the Cards keep both of these picks or trade down in the first to acquire a second, look for Larry Fitzgerald's newest replacement to be drafted in 2020.

3. No Offensive Tackles Drafted in 2020

D.J. Humphries (right) and company will have to do for now as Arizona avoids the tackle position this time around. / Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Cardinals may not only avoid a tackle in the first round, they might even steer clear of them altogether. After extending both D.J. Humphries and Marcus Gilbert, Arizona is serviceable at tackle for the moment. Electing to go defense in the first causes them to miss on the premier talent at the position in 2020, so Kingsbury could decide to roll the dice for another year. Kyler Murray may be on the run more than he'd prefer, but sometimes that's where he is at his best, and the plethora of wide receivers should allow him to get the ball out quickly. After all, the spread offense is designed to move fast.

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Michael Obermuller is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Michael Obermuller also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username king_mizzard. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.