Top 3 draft prospects who should top the Arizona Cardinals big board

Since the 2022 Arizona Cardinals season is basically over with two meaningless games left, let’s have some fun and talk about the 2023 NFL Draft. 

The Arizona Cardinals will be picking in the top six, that much we know. And while they can end up with a top five pick, and even the number one pick as of 6:00 am MT on Sunday, January 1st, odds are, this team is going defense.

Below, I’ve listed my top three defensive prospects the Redbirds, whoever is running their war room in April, should have at the top of their big board. Let’s meet these three players.

Player #1 – Will Anderson Jr., Edge/Alabama

Arguably the best defensive player in this draft, Will Anderson Jr. will provide immediate help for the Arizona Cardinals pass rush that sorely needs it. With J.J. Watt retiring, the Redbirds are almost officially void of effective pass rushers, and Anderson, with 34.5 sacks and 58.5 tackles for loss, will immediately fill that void if he declares for the draft.

At 243 pounds, he will remind you of Haason Reddick, who has posted double-digit sack numbers in each of the past three seasons – one of which came in the desert. Drafting Anderson will remedy the mistake (which I mentioned in foresight, by the way) of letting Reddick walk.

Player #2 – Jalen Carter, Defensive Interior/Clemson

No, it’s never a delight to pick a defensive tackle in the top five. They rarely bring fans out of seats, but when you need one as badly as the Arizona Cardinals, you take the best one in the draft if they are available.

Jalen Carter is one of those players, who produced so well in an injury-riddled 2022 campaign that he’s the type of player you select without thinking twice. Carter had 7.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and 3 pass deflections. Per PFF, he also had a 90.0 pass rush grade.

Player #3 – Myles Murphy, Edge/Clemson

If the Arizona Cardinals can’t land Will Anderson Jr., then Myles Murphy would be a remarkable consolation prize. He only has 18.5 career sacks, but the 275 pound product out of Clemson also logged 36 tackles behind the line.

And unlike many draft prospects who post marginal numbers early in their respective collegiate campaigns, Murphy is an outlier. As a freshman, he totaled 37 tackles, including 10.5 behind the line, and four sacks. Murphy also had three forced fumbles that year.

Overall, he doesn’t produce the same sack numbers as Anderson, but Murphy will be an effective player nonetheless. If the Cardinals are picking between fourth overall and sixth overall, he should be there.

Article Source: 2023 NFL Draft Big Board: PFF’s top 100 prospects by Michael Renner

(Statistics provided by Sports-Reference/CFB)

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