Grading the Arizona Cardinals Draft
By Scott Allen
We’ve had a couple of days to stew it over, and now it’s time ro reflect on how the Arizona Cardinals did in the 2010 NFL Draft.
First Round – Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee. It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals finding a better player for a position of need at number 26. Most mock drafts, including mine, did not include the Cardinals taking Williams at 26. That is only because most had Williams long gone by this pick. Kudos for the Cardinals being patient and not trading up to get him. Coach Ken Whisenhunt indicated that they had Williams being picked at number 11 on their board. Grade = A
Second Round – Daryl Washington, OLB, TCU. Washington was a guy the Cardinals traded up to get. Originally not the TCU lineman I expected them to get, as I thought they would target Jerry Hughes in the first round, however Washington is a solid pass rusher and brings youth to a position that was getting older and still is with the addition of Joey Porter in the off-season. Grade = A-
Third Round – Andre Roberts, WR, The Citadel. Roberts, a relative unknown out west, is a receiver that has good hands and has potential to help out the return game. The Cardinals again, drafting in a need position after the departure of Anquan Boldin, find themselves with a strong candidate to make a run at the number three wideout along with Early Doucet. Grade = B+
Fourth Round – O’Brien Schofield, OLB, Wisconsin. Schofield was a bit of a risk at any time in the draft. That has nothing to do with his skills, however an injury to his knee during the Senior Bowl may keep this instinctive pass rusher out of action into the 2010 season. He’d better be that good to use a fourth round pick on. If it pans out, the Cards brass deserve a huge pat on the back for this pick. If it doesn’t, it could be one fans will ride the team on for a long time coming. Grade = B
Fifth Round – John Skelton, QB, Fordham. Skelton has the size and the arm NFL scouts look for. He is even considered by many to have the strongest arm in this year’s class. If Skelton is able to grow and mature behind Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson, this pick could be talked about for years. Could be a steal. Grade = A-
Sixth Round – Jarrick Colvin, CB, Troy. Here’s a guy that missed the entire 2009 season due to academic ineligibility. He only has one year of major college football experience. Not exactly the pick I was looking for to fill a thinning position for the Cardinals after the trade of CB Bryant McFadden back to Pittsburgh. Grade = D
Seventh Round – Jim Dray, TE, Stanford. The Cardinals have been looking for a good tight end for as long as I can remember. This isn’t a pick I write home about just yet. He does come from a solid football program and a very good offense at Stanford. he has good run blocking skills. This will be a tough grade to give because a seventh-round tight end typically isn’t a starter type. We’ll See. Grade = C
Overall Grade = B
Scott Allen