Arizona Cardinals: Five playmakers to pair with Kyler Murray at No. 33 overall

D.K. Metcalf – WR, Ole Miss

Once considered to be a first round lock, Metcalf fell out of the first entirely and is available for the Arizona Cardinals’ picking. If Kingsbury wants a field-stretcher to take advantage of Kyler Murray’s arm, Metcalf could be the top option.

If you hadn’t heard by now, Metcalf could best be described as a freak athlete, so much so that NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah once compared him to Batman. At the combine, he proved to live up to his heroic comparison. The 6-foot-3, 228-pound receiver recorded a 4.33 second 40-yard-dash, 40.5-inch vertical, 134-inch broad jump, and 27 225-pound bench press reps.

At Ole Miss, Metcalf was used as a field-stretching menace. Per Pro Football Focus, he hauled in six deep passes for an absurd 304 yards in 2018 alone. On tape it isn’t too hard to see how he did so; he routinely looked like the biggest, fastest, and most explosive athlete on the field. He’s also a circus-catch ace and hauled in 67 catches for 1,228 yards and 14 touchdowns.

But Metcalf has some glaring weaknesses. He has a limited route tree (that he runs well), has an extensive injury history, and tested poorly in agility drills. The latter of the bunch may have been what caused his stock to tank, as most question his ability to run horizontally efficiently.

However, Metcalf is a first round talent, and at this point may even be underrated. His ability as a field-stretcher and x-receiver cannot be understated, nor is his developing game and sky-high potential. His route-running progressed throughout his college tenure, and so have his hands. The Cardinals may find it tough to pass on adding a one of a kind athlete that can create a dynamic duo with Murray that most imagined couldn’t happen.