At this point, we’ve narrowed down the possibilities for the Arizona Cardinals first-round pick, right? Right?
Apparently not. Daniel Jeremiah, one of the most tuned-in NFL Draft insiders in the industry, just dropped his final mock draft. The Arizona Cardinals pick is shocking.
Most mock drafts have one of a familiar list of names heading to the Cardinals at pick 16. Will Johnson, Kenneth Grant, and Kelvin Banks Jr. have all been repeatedly linked to Arizona.
Daniel Jeremiah just brought an entirely new name to the table.
Daniel Jeremiah mocks Emeka Egbuka to the Arizona Cardinals
The idea of the Cardinals selecting a wide receiver in the first round isn’t new. However, when experts pair a receiver with the Cardinals, it’s almost always Texas wideout Matthew Golden. The Cardinals need a speedy, field-stretching receiver, and Golden fits the bill.
Daniel Jeremiah has the Cardinals taking Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka at pick 16.
Once you let yourself recover from the initial shock, this pick is palatable. Egbuka is one of the top receivers in the draft. He may be the most pro-ready wideout in the class. Egbuka is a refined route runner with a great feel for defensive coverages. He consistently finds open areas in the defense and creates perfect throwing lanes for his quarterback.
He has flown under the radar to some extent due to the superstar receivers he's played alongside. During his time at Ohio State, Egbuka has played with Chris Olave, Jeremiah Smith, and Arizona's own Marvin Harrison Jr.
Make no mistake, Egbuka is talented enough to be drafted with the 16th pick. He doesn't quite fill the apparent need the Cardinals have for a deep threat, but he would certainly be a contributor in Drew Petzing's offense.
Mock drafts are wrong more often than they are right. In reality, we don't know what will happen on draft night. But when insiders as connected as Daniel Jeremiah make predictions, they're worth listening to.