Recent history of No. 23 draft pick not thrilling for Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals currently hold the No. 23 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, and during the last few decades, most of the players selected with that pick haven’t been very successful.

If they end up keeping the selection, the Arizona Cardinals will add a prospect later this week with the No. 23 pick in the NFL Draft for the first time since 1966 when they selected former Michigan State offensive tackle, Harold Lucas.

This year, it’s anyone’s guess who will still be on the board when the Cardinals get on the clock for the first time at pick No. 23. People are still unsure about who the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to select with the No. 1 overall pick.

Whoever Arizona ends up adding with the selection, recent history suggests the chance of success for the player isn’t going to be very high.

History of No. 23 pick in NFL Draft does not bode well for Arizona Cardinals

Of the 26 players to be drafted with the No. 23 overall pick since 1996, only one has earned a First-Team All-Pro selection. That player was former Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions center Jeff Hartings, who was drafted by the Lions in 1996.

So fine, maybe the Cardinals won’t wind up with an elite player if they select someone with the No. 23 pick. But how many former No. 23 draft picks have made the Pro Bowl since 1996?

That number is a little better as eight players since 1996 who were drafted with the No. 23 selection earned at least one trip to the Pro Bowl during their careers. Still, that’s only about 31 percent of the players selected with the No. 23 pick since 1996.

During the recent past, this selection has seemed to produce more players who go on to become draft busts.

Guys like wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, defensive end Shane Ray, defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, and offensive guard Danny Watkins were all drafted with the 23rd pick and all of them failed to live up to the expectations of being selected in the first round.

At the same time, the No. 23 pick has also produced four Hall of Fame players in cornerback Ty Law, tight end Ozzie Newsome, punter Ray Guy, and linebacker Bill George.

Obviously, Arizona will be hoping that the player they draft with the No. 23 selection will become the first Hall of Famer to be picked 23rd since Law in 1995. But with the way things have gone recently, the expectations for whoever the Cardinals end up with in the first round this year shouldn’t be very high.