If the Arizona Cardinals are considering adding a wide receiver in the first round of the draft, as some believe, there should be quality players available.
Arizona drafted wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4 last season. He projects as a Pro Bowl-type of receiver.
ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum, a former New York Jets general manager, raised some eyebrows in his mock draft last week when he slotted Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden to the Cardinals at No. 16. Most mock drafts have the Cardinals taking a much-needed defensive player at 16.
Tannenbaum’s selection of Golden was intriguing. His theory is for the Cardinals to pick another quality wide receiver and load up at one of the NFL’s crucial positions. Arizona can worry about the defense in other rounds.
Cardinals have options at wide receiver in the first round of 2025 NFL Draft
Bucky Brooks is an NFL.com analyst who played five seasons in the NFL. He has Golden ranked second at the position in this year’s class behind Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan.
“Golden’s speed, explosiveness and wiggle make him a difficult wideout to defend in space. The Texas standout can blow past defenders on vertical routes or utilize his crafty route-running skills to separate on various crossers,” writes Brooks.
Brooks believes McMillan, Golden, Emeka Egbuka, and Luther Burden are possible first-round picks. McMillan might be a Cardinals fan favorite, having played his college ball in Tucson.
In reality, the Cardinals are more likely to target a defensive player first.
Brooks’ latest mock draft is more conventional for the Cardinals — go hard on defense. His pick for the Cardinals is Mississippi defensive tackle Walter Nolen.
“The high-energy interior defender fits the Cardinals’ defensive culture as a worker bee at the point of attack,” Brooks wrote.
Surrounding the Cardinals at 15, Brooks has the Falcons taking edge rusher Mike Green, of Marshall. And at 17, Brooks has the Bengals selecting Shemar Stewart, an edge rusher from Texas A&M.
Arizona has options at wide receiver but may prefer to target a defensive player first.