Round three: Draft the best player available.
This is similar to the second round, but in this round, the draft board should open a bit more. Other than quarterback, running back, and edge rusher (if they draft Bosa), the Arizona Cardinals should be willing to draft any position at the top of the third because of the potential talent available.
Sitting at pick No. 65, the Cardinals will have no shortage of high-level players on the board. In recent years, teams with these top of the third picks have found success from players that were talented enough to go Top-50 but didn’t.
In the past two drafts, these three teams have neglected need in the 65-69 range to get fallers. Those best player available selections include:
- Saints’ RB Alvin Kamara, No. 67, 2017
- Rams’ WR Cooper Kupp, No. 69, 2017
- Texans’ S Justin Reid, No. 68, 2018
All three of these players weren’t expected to be available in the third in my mind, and it showed why when they hit the gridiron. Both Kamara and Kupp have been key players to their respective offenses while Reid looks to be a building block for the Texans.
The Cardinals should continue this trend of going best player available this year. Although it’s hard to see in the future to envision WHO will fall to the third, expect to see players experts dub as firsts or early second to fall right in the Cardinals’ lap.