The Arizona Cardinals had a draft to forget in 2018. And it took just one season to realize they drafted a mistake in the first round.
When Christian Kirk and Chase Edmonds departed the desert, it left the Arizona Cardinals with zero remaining picks from the 2018 NFL Draft. That said, the draft class was arguably the Cardinals’ worst of the 2010s.
If we had a crystal ball, odds are, we probably would have done a do-over here. So let’s have some fun and redraft the Arizona Cardinals 2018 draft, starting with the most important position in sports.
But before we dive into the redraft, here is how this is going to work. First, the Arizona Cardinals will keep all the selections they used in that draft. So, for example, they will keep the 10th overall selection that they used to select Josh Rosen.
They cannot pick anyone who went in front of them in each round. So, for example, they cannot pick quarterback Josh Allen, who went seventh overall to the Buffalo Bills. They can, however, pick another quarterback who has enjoyed a stellar career.
Redrafting the Arizona Cardinals 2018 Draft: Round 1, Pick 10:
Original Selection: Josh Rosen, QB/UCLA
While I am personally not a fan of Jackson’s run-first playing style due to the injury risk involved, we can all agree he would have been a much more sensible pick than Josh Rosen. And while Jackson’s passing skills are still ticky-tacky, he has shown the ability to throw from the pocket at times during his career, meaning he is not fully reliant on his legs.
While the Arizona Cardinals remedied the quarterback position with Kyler Murray despite his own shortcomings, Jackson has a far better resume. He has won the AFC North, won a playoff game, made two trips to the Pro Bowl, and he even won an NFL MVP award.
Again, I’m not the biggest fan of Jackson, given some of his antics, such as walking off the field without post-game handshakes after winning a playoff game against the Tennessee Titans or talking about how he would love to switch his jersey number to #1 and subsequently have both #1 and #8 retired. But you can’t deny that he would have taken the Cardinals further than Rosen or even Murray.
Therefore, Jackson gets the nod at 15th overall. And with the 57th pick, he gets that coveted puzzle piece he often lacked in Baltimore.
Redrafting the Arizona Cardinals 2018 Draft: Round 2, Pick 47 Stays the same with Christian Kirk
Kirk evolved into a serviceable receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, snagging 77 receptions for 962 yards and five touchdowns in 2021. Then, unfortunately, he went off to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Cardinals filled his void with Marquise Brown, who coincidentally was with Jackson in Baltimore.
Kirk’s speedy style of play would be a great fit for Jackson, who is at his best when throwing outside the pocket. And while Jackson’s playing style fits best for tight ends, Kirk’s ability to get open while Jackson extends a play would be just as effective. Therefore, the Cardinals still would have selected Kirk in the second round.
Now the question bodes: Would Kirk have remained in Arizona with Jackson instead of Murray? Let’s suppose Jackson still posted a good but not as good 2019 campaign and led the Cardinals to the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Although Jackson took a step back in 2021, Kirk very well may have stuck around, considering Jackson’s past success with the team.
Redrafting the Arizona Cardinals 2018 Draft: Round 3: Pick 97
Original Selection: Mason Cole, C/Michigan
Hines is arguably one of the most dangerous two-way threats in the NFL. He continues to improve as a running back, but he has also logged 210 career receptions in four seasons, with seven receiving touchdowns to go along with it.
While I don’t think Hines would be the RB1, lining him up alongside Jackson just spells danger for opposing defenses. Hines is a great runner, meaning Jackson can just flip him the ball, and he can go the distance. Or, Jackson could just dump the ball to him out of the backfield on a screen or a flare pass.
Either way, Hines’ versatility pairs well with Jackson’s. And that alone would give them chemistry. Ideally, the Cardinals still sign James Conner to be the RB1 when the 2021 season rolled around, with Hines coming in as the third-down passing back. With that being said, Hines would have a lovely home in Glendale, Arizona, much like he does in Indianapolis.
Redrafting the Arizona Cardinals 2018 Draft: Round 4, Pick 134
Original Selection: Chase Edmonds, RB/Fordham
Remember when I said Lamar Jackson benefits well from tight ends? Well, enter Dalton Schultz, one of the better products from the 2018 Draft Class. Now, Schultz only logged 13 career catches during his first two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. But if you put him with the Arizona Cardinals, he most likely would have made an immediate impact with Jackson at quarterback.
Schultz has recorded 63 and 78 receptions, respectively, in 2020 and 2021, with over 1,400 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Schultz would also be able to create space for Kirk, selected two rounds ahead of him, or vice versa. Either way, he would have been a sound addition to the Cardinals at 134th overall.
I also believe he would make an excellent complement to Maxx Williams, who is more of a blocker than a receiver at the position. Williams arrived in 2019, one season after the Cardinals would have drafted Schultz in the fourth round. Talk about a memorable one-two punch.
Redrafting the Arizona Cardinals 2018 Draft: Round 6: Pick 182
Original Selection: Chris Campbell, CB/Penn State
Yes, McCloud is a bit of a journeyman, having already played for three NFL teams. That said, he is a long shot to have stuck to the Arizona Cardinals roster had they drafted him 182nd overall. But, he has provided exceptional service as a returner, constantly giving the Pittsburgh Steelers a decent field position.
And last season in Pittsburgh, McCloud recorded 39 receptions and 277 yards as a lower-tier receiver. So at worst, he would have provided depth and much more value than that of Andy Isabella, drafted in the second round just one season later.
But would the Cardinals have drafted Isabella if, say, McCloud spent the season either on the practice squad or on the lower end of the depth chart? We will never know, but whether he stuck with Arizona or not, he would still be in the league today. As is the case in real life.
Redrafting the Arizona Cardinals 2018 Draft, Round 7: Pick 254 – J.C. Jackson – CB/Maryland
Original Selection: Korey Cunningham, G/Cincinnati
And finally, we got J.C. Jackson, who is coming off a Pro Bowl season. He was also a Second-Team All-Pro in 2021, recording eight interceptions, a pick-six, and 23 pass deflections. He was quite a diamond in the rough that only Bill Belichick has the ability to detect.
So what would the Arizona Cardinals have made of Jackson had the Cardinals scooped him up? Odds are, he would have learned from Patrick Peterson, and the Cardinals are probably still drafting cornerback Byron Murphy the following year. But I also believe the Cardinals would have slid Jackson right in there and started him in 2020 opposite Peterson while Murphy settled into the slot.
Yeah, the Cardinals would have avoided quite the cornerback conundrum they suffered in both 2020 and 2021 with Jackson on the roster. But, odds are, they probably would have also gone in a direction different than the one they went in during the 2021 draft with Marco Wilson.