Arizona Cardinals meet with four players at the NFL Combine
By Avery Duncan
The Arizona Cardinals met with three top prospects in Indianapolis.
According to Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell, the Arizona Cardinals have met with three top prospects, and an inside linebacker projected to be drafted in day three of the 2019 NFL Draft.
The list of players the team has met with includes;
- Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio State
- Kyler Murray, QB, Oklahoma
- Quinnen Williams, IDL, Alabama
- Blake Cashman, ILB, Minnesota
The first three mentioned are all currently in the running for the first pick in the 2019 draft, which the Arizona Cardinals currently own.
Two-sport superstar Kyler Murray is the one that pops out to most, as the Cardinals new head coach Kliff Kingsbury not only recruited him in college, he noted that he would pick him number one in October if he had the opportunity to do. He projects as an ideal fit in what is expected to be a shotgun-heavy, air raid, timing based offense by Kingsbury.
However, the team currently has 2018 first-round pick Josh Rosen as their top quarterback; a player who had an up and down year in a chaotic situation in Arizona. The Murray situation will be an interesting watch, and the Arizona Cardinals brass is expected to attend his Oklahoma pro-day on March 13th.
Ohio State edge rusher Nick Bosa has been expected to be the first pick in the draft no matter which team since 2019 NFL mock drafts first came out. He had an excellent combine showing and has the traits, lineage, and measurables to be a dominant pass rusher in the NFL; the second most important position in the NFL.
Alabama’s interior defensive lineman Quinnen Williams is another candidate for the top pick, joining Bosa and Murray in a three horse race. During his combine workouts, he proved that his dominant 2018 season at Alabama wasn’t just due to the scheme and talent around him. He posted the fourth-best 40-yard-dash in NFL Combine history by a 300+ lb player with a 4.83. His game is eerily similar to a bigger version of Rams superstar lineman Aaron Donald.
Lastly, the Arizona Cardinals also interviewed Minnesota inside linebacker Blake Cashman, which isn’t surprising due to the teams need at linebacker as they have converted their defense to a 3-4. Cashman wowed at the combine with a 4.50 40-yard-dash, tied for fourth best among linebackers.
He also boasts good size at 6-2, and 235 lbs, and should be a prospect to watch after the second round.