Arizona Cardinals 2017 NFL Draft: RaisingZona Staff Projections
By Jeremy Meek
The Cardinals have a second pick in round five thanks to compensatory picks
Vance Meek – Lorenzo Jerome, S: The Cardinals signed veteran Antoine Bethea to play safety, but need a young player to groom for the future. Jerome is a tackling machine who loves to make the big hit. He also has special teams value.
Jim Koch – Nico Siragusa, G: The mammoth Siragusa (6’4″, 326) provides insurance in case Evan Boehm fails to impress at right guard. At worst, he’s depth for free agent departure Earl Watford.
Joseph Comeau – Samson Ekubam, LB: Though the Cardinals have an outstanding pair of pass rush bookends in Chandler Jones and Markus Golden, it’s a good idea to have developmental pass rushers in the wings. Linebacker Samson Ebukam is a smart, but raw player, with explosive athleticism. Ebukam’s early contributions would likely be on special teams, but he could develop into a solid rotational pass rusher.
Isaiah Addair – James Conner, RB: Conner won a fight against lymphoma and now is planning on winning on Sunday’s. He’s a bruising back that has also had success catching the ball out of the backfield. Arizona will need someone to backup David Johnson, so why not find someone that can make opposing defenses cringe as they see him run downhill.
Joseph Vasquez – Cole Hikutini, TE: A tight end with strong hands and speed, Hikutini could be a mismatch for opposing linebackers.