The time has come for the Arizona Cardinals front office to move on from several of their underachieving draft selections
In three weeks time, the Arizona Cardinals brass will be at it again. General manager Steve Keim and his cohorts will be taking part in what could be the most important draft in the history of the franchise. Not every pick will find success at the pro level, but having more hits than misses is a must for the Cards talent evaluators.
Unfortunately, that has not always been the case during Keim’s tenure. Arizona’s two-time “Executive of the Year” has certainly made his fair share of draft blunders. Some of the errors, in fact, are still taking up precious roster space at the present time.
Back in 2016, Keim reached terribly with the Cardinals third-round choice. Brandon Williams was brought to the nest to solve the squad’s ongoing number-two cornerback woes. Three years later, many members of the “Red Sea” are wondering why the former college running back is still hanging around.
It was obvious from the beginning that Williams was not cut out to be a cover guy in the NFL. What’s maddening is that Keim has thus far refused to admit that the 26-year old has been a flat-out bust. Hopefully, the offseason additions of veteran corners Robert Alford and Tramaine Brock will mean the end of Williams’ stay in the desert.
A year after that debacle, Keim goofed again with another third-round offering. Wide receiver Chad Williams has tallied just 20 receptions during his two professional campaigns, unimpressive numbers for an individual who was the 98th-overall pick in 2017. The Grambling State product will most likely be retained, but the Cards may be better off giving his roster spot to newcomer Kevin White or a 2019 draft prospect.
While D.J. Humphries is the current starter at left tackle, there are some who believe that Arizona could do better. The 2015 first-round selection has missed 37 games during his career, including the 16 matchups he failed to dress for as a rookie. Humphries has been mediocre at best, but it appears as if the club’s management will ride with the underachiever once again this coming fall.
Another first-rounder, defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, has also been less than impressive since he joined the Cardinals in 2016. The 24-year old has missed 21 contests due to various injuries, and his effort seems to be lacking at times as well. Not many fans would be disappointed if Nkemdiche is given his walking papers this summer.
None of the four players mentioned in this article have contributed much to the Cards during their time with the organization. The front office’s main objective should be to build the best possible team it can. Acknowledging past draft mistakes would put Arizona on the right path towards achieving that goal.