Arizona Cardinals: An important defensive draft
The Arizona Cardinals could lean more to the defensive side in the NFL draft
When you look at the Arizona Cardinals defense you immediately see talent, talent everywhere. Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Chandler Jones and Markus Golden are some names that first come to mind.
That doesn’t even scrape the surface with the talent and play making ability that takes the field when the defense heads out, but there is flaws. There are a lot of holes on defense that need to be filled with general manager Steve Keim hopefully taking care of that in the draft.
With the draft on Thursday many people will be talking about the Cardinals taking a quarterback or wide receiver in the first round. The Cardinals offense is set for 2017, especially since Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald are returning.
The Cardinals though will more than likely be looking to the future in the first round. Once that first round is done, keep an eye out on the positions drafted after that. Positions like corner back, linebacker, defensive lineman and safety is what could be called.
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The Cardinals are in dire need of a corner back opposite Patrick Peterson. You have a defensive line that lost a franchise player in Calais Campbell. Middle linebacker and safety are solid, but just like offense some of the players are getting older.
Arizona was the number 2 ranked defense in the NFL in 2016. That was until 6 defensive players left in free agency, 4 of them starters.
For the Cardinals to keep up the high play on defense this draft will be critical. A quarterback and wide receiver could help and could be the future of the franchise, but a defensive player could contribute now. A lot of the talk this off season has been offensive players, but it could definitely head in the defensive direction.