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Arizona Cardinals: Snagging talent from the University of Alabama makes sense

By Sion Fawkes

Dec 31, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs (1) runs the ball
Dec 31, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs (1) runs the ball / Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
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The Arizona Cardinals got plenty of draft picks in the Top 105, and it would be wise for them to draft NFL caliber talent.

When it comes to the 2023 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals need to get it right. There can’t be any catastrophic errors here reminiscent of the Steve Keim era, where it seemed the former general manager messed up just about everything. 

One way to minimize such flaws is for general manager Monti Ossenfort to draft the most NFL-ready talent. And one way to do that is to target draft prospects who have experience facing NFL-caliber players and rosters. 

Of course, one school that Ossenfort should zero in on is the University of Alabama, arguably college football’s best overall school for producing such talent. And in a mock draft from Revenge of the Birds’ Seth Cox, the Cardinals are doing just that. 

Arizona Cardinals need to prioritize University of Alabama’s talent pool

In Cox’s mock draft, the Redbirds took Will Anderson Jr third overall. And while I believe Big Red should trade back a slot with the Indianapolis Colts to snag Anderson at number four, myself and the entire fanbase will be every bit as excited if Arizona stood pat and took him with the third pick. 

The 34th overall selection in Cox’s mock surprised me, with Jahmyr Gibbs going to the desert. But if you remember correctly, I had Gibbs listed as one of my NFL Combine winners on the offensive side of the ball. So overall, I’d be thrilled with the selection. 

While you can look back at any season and clearly see that not every talent from Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s program worked wonders, you also see a greater capacity of hits than misses. There is Alabama-laden talent all over the 32-team league, and since they are facing NFL-caliber competition year in and year out, zeroing in on those who played in Tuscaloosa would be a great way to ensure a solid draft. 

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Source: Arizona Cardinals go heavy on Alabama in first two rounds of 2023 NFL Mock Draft by Seth Cox, RevengeOfTheBirds.com

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