Josh Jones is the best pick Arizona Cardinals made in the NFL Draft

The best pick the Arizona Cardinals made in the 2020 NFL Draft came in the third round, not in the first, as GM Steve Keim might try to tell fans.

While Steve Keim was all aglow with his selection of Isaiah Simmons, the single best pick the Arizona Cardinals made was for the offensive line. Keim, who was steady but underwhelming in the 2020 NFL Draft, made his best selection of the weekend when he landed offensive tackle Josh Jones from the University of Houston in the third round.

Jones is the raw kind of talent that Vance Joseph will love. He’s an unfinished product with a ton of upside. At 6’-5” and weighing in at 319 lbs, the first thing fans will notice is his length. He has a long frame that still needs some refining. At the NFL Combine, he posted a 5.27 40-yard dash time.

The numbers and measurables are what they are. For fans, what they will find most promising is his athleticism. With a quarterback like Kyler Murray, that aspect of his game will be key. He can be quick when exiting his stance and reach his opponent when he is asked to pull in the Cardinals run game or when Murray goes off the grid. He can get to the second level easily, but will still need to improve his footwork to make that big jump professionally.

Of the first two picks Arizona made, Jones is a lock as his role is defined. Already, Keim and Joseph are having to answer questions as to how and or where Simmons fits. As much as Keim has gushed about having Simmons available at the No. 8 pick, this may be an instance where “best available” might betray the Cardinals. Simmons could be a solid contributor, so long as his role is better defined sooner rather than later.

Murray might privately lament that Arizona and his GM weren’t more inventive early when options were available for his offense. That said, he will absolutely love what Josh Jones brings to the table for the Cardinals.