Arizona Cardinals may have goofed during 2019 NFL Draft

Opting to draft Andy Isabella instead of D.K. Metcalf is a decision that the Arizona Cardinals could ultimately come to regret

Over the past several years, the Arizona Cardinals have made more than their fair share of draft mistakes. Steve Keim has taken an ample amount of criticism for the many questionable selections he has made as the club’s general manager. In fact, it appears that the Cards top talent evaluator may have made a particularly blatant blunder during the second round of last year’s three-day event.

At the moment, Arizona’s decision to select wide receiver Andy Isabella when D.K. Metcalf was still available looks like a poor one. The difference between the two pass-catchers following their first season in the NFL is like night and day. Isabella appeared to be a perfect fit for head coach Kliff Kingsbury‘s “Air Raid” offense, but it now looks as if Metcalf would’ve been the better choice.

Two slots after the Cardinals landed Isabella with the 62nd-overall pick, the Seattle Seahawks were more than happy to take Metcalf off of the board with the 64th-overall selection. The 6’4, 229 pound Metcalf has had a fantastic rookie campaign, hauling in 58 passes for 900 yards and seven touchdowns. His brilliance carried over into the postseason last Sunday, when the youngster tallied seven receptions,160 receiving yards and a score during Seattle’s victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Isabella, on the other hand, has been a colossal disappointment for the Cards thus far. The 5’9, 188 pounder totaled just nine catches for 189 yards and one touchdown in his 15 appearances (one start). Arizona fans were expecting much more from the speedy Isabella, who ran the 40-yard dash in a scintillating 4.31 seconds at the Scouting Combine last year.

In their defense, the Cardinals weren’t the only franchise to take a pass on the explosive Metcalf during the ’19 draft. No less than eight wideouts were chosen before the 22-year old went to the Seahawks on April 26th. Out of that group, only A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans posted better numbers (52-1,051-8) than Metcalf this past fall.

It’s obviously way too early to give up the talented Isabella. The former University of Massachusetts star could very well become a vital part of Kingsbury’s passing attack for many years to come. There’s also a possibility, however, that the decision to pass on the sensational Metcalf is a mistake that will haunt the Cards forever.