Arizona Cardinals should draft another offensive lineman

Arizona Cardinals could be in the market for additional offensive lineman

The 2020 NFL draft is right around the corner, and while some teams are prepared to draft talented quarterbacks such as Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert, should the Arizona Cardinals look to draft more offensive linemen?

Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was sacked 48 times during his rookie season, which was tied for first behind Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson.

The Cardinals concern to protect Murray should be at the top of the list. However, the Cardinals have not been successful drafting offensive linemen in recent years. Should they try again, or look for someone in free agency?

Since 2012, the  Cardinals drafted 13 offensive linemen and almost none of them worked out. Over the last seven years, six of the linemen were traded and seven of them were released. DJ Humphries, Mason Cole, and Lamont Galliard are the only offensive linemen who were drafted by, and still play for Arizona.

DJ Humphries did not play in any games in 2015. In 2016, he played 13 games before going down with an injury. In 2017, he played just five games before he was injured again. In the 2018 season, Humphries played nine games before he suffered another injury. However, in the 2019 season, Humphries managed to play all 16 games, committed only four holding and five false start penalties, and allowed only two sacks all season.

Mason Cole started all 16 games at the center position in his rookie season. He only had two false start penalties and allowed just one sack. In the 2019 season, the Cardinals decided to move him from center so A.Q. Shipley could fill that position. He played just two games during that season where he had one holding penalty and gave up one sack.

These two have been the only successful draft picks at offensive linemen for the Cardinals in recent years, which should indicate the team should look to free agency if they want to protect Murray.

Who should the Cardinals draft with the eighth overall pick, then? Ceedee Lamb.

Former Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray would love nothing more than to throw it to his former college teammate, as they were one of the most dynamic QB/WR duos in college. Lamb caught 111 receptions for almost 2,000 yards in just two seasons with Murray. If he were drafted by Arizona, there is no telling what this team could do with Lamb, Fitzgerald, and Kirk.