Arizona's top targets
National Football League
Draft King Mailbag
December 4, 2005
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
Reader feedback is always welcomed here at DraftKing.com. Send your thoughts to me at LouPickney@gmail.com.
From: Patrick Cooper
To: Lou Pickney
Date: Dec 4, 2005 1:19 AM
Subject: 12-2 NFL Draft Predictions
Hey there. I'm sure you get tons of these but I just thought I would send you a comment about my thoughts on your recent predicitons. I currently live in Ohio but I am an avid Arizona Cardinals fan (I've only lived in Ohio about a year and a half, spending the last 16 in Arizona). Anyways, I agree with you on two things about your draft selection for them. I agree with placement (most likely in the 7-10 range), and that their selection most likely will be (at least should be) defense. I really doubt that they would choose a CB that high however. They used last years 1st round for Antrel Rolle and drafted CB Eric Green (UWV) in the 3rd round. Granted Rolle has been injured all year but Eric Green has played quite well at CB for them and I find it highly unlikely that they would pick another CB that high. My best guess (but then again what do I know) is that they pray AJ Hawk falls to them or trade down (as they often do... sadly) and take a LB. Their defensive line isn't too bad when Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor is healthy. Their secondary isn't too bad with the aforementioned Antrel Rolle and Eric Green looking to anchor their seconday for the next 5 years. You also can't overlook Saftey Adrian Wilson who is quitely having an exceptional year and a week or two ago recorded 15 tackles, and followed that up with a 3-sack performance against the Rams (one of which he knocked Marc Bulger out for another month).
Anyways that's just my input for the Cardinals. If they do go and draft offense it would most likely be an offensive lineman to try to anchor an underachieving/injury prone line. Good luck with future predictions and keep up the good work. I consider your predictions one of the best out there.
-Patrick (Regretfully an Arizona Cardinals fan)
Lou: I've always believed that, in most situations, a fan of a given team will have greater insight on what that team might do than I will. There are some scenarios, such as the #1 pick, where analysis will be done so much that it will supercede the knowledge base of a given team's fans. But that is the exception, not the rule, and that's why I really enjoy the mailbag part of this website. It allows people to express their opinions, but it also gives me unique perspectives and sometimes provides me with a more correct outlook on what a team might do.
An offensive lineman would be helpful for the Cardinals, no question, preferably an offensive tackle who would fit well at the right side (with Leonard Davis holding down the left OT spot.) The Cardinals may very well get a shot at one of the top OT prospects, but perhaps the better way to go would be at OLB, where, at you mentioned, there is that chance of A.J. Hawk sliding to them (think of how OLB Derrick Johnson slid last year), or if not Hawk, then perhaps one of a number of quality OLB prospects.
