The Draft Was
... Good for anyone else, but not safe enough for Arizona.
Had New England or Indianapolis come up with this haul it
would've been hailed as excellent because of the upside. These
types of drafts, with projects like DE Calais Campbell and DE
Ken Iwebema and CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie never seem to
work for the Cardinals. Best Value Pick: Calais Campbell, DE Miami. 2nd round. He
likely would've been a top 20 pick last year on potential alone,
and he certainly would've been a first rounder next year.
Getting him at the 50 is a steal. Biggest Reach: Tim Hightower, RB Richmond. 5th round.
Everyone's looking for the next Marion Barber, but while
Hightower is a strong, big runner, he's a special teamer. They Should've ... Gone after a better running back
earlier or a linebacker in the fifth round. Getting Geno Hayes,
Marcus Howard, or Larry Grant would've helped the linebacking
corps more than Hightower will help the running game.
#
Pick
16
16
1st Round
Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie, CB Tennessee State
The high riser of the corners after the Combine, Rodgers-Cromartie
blazed off a 4.34 40. At 6-1 and 184 pounds he has great sized
to go along with that phenomenal speed and athleticism, and he's
great at going after the ball and making something happen when
he gets his hands on it. While he didn't see a high level of
competition at Tennessee State, he looked like he could've been
from LSU or Ohio State with the way he matched up against top
receivers at the Senior Bowl. He needs to get stronger and he
needs to be willing to become a better tacklers, but he has
everything else you'd want in a No. 1 corner. CFN Projection: First Round
CFN Position Rank: 1
19
50
2nd Round
Calais Campbell, DE Miami
Potentially the boom or bust pick in the draft, Campbell has
freakish size at close to 6-8 and 290 pounds. While he's not
fast, he's a good athlete who has functional football speed with
the ability to chase down ball-carriers. Ultra-productive, did
it all his sophomore year with a whopping 84 tackles and 20.5
tackles for loss, and while his numbers dipped a bit last year,
he still had a nice season. However, he's raw. He disappeared at
times against the better tackles and he has to learn how to play
like the biggest, baddest end around. Don't expect a Pro Bowl
rookie season, but by year three he could end up being the best
defensive lineman in this draft. CFN Projection: Late First Round to Early
Second Round CFN Position Rank: 5
18
81
3rd Round
Early Doucet, WR LSU
Before his senior season he was considered to be in the running
for the honor of being the top receiver taken in the draft.
While he was fine, he didn't take the next step up needed to
show he could be a major NFL producer. While he's compact and
strong, and he's not afraid to block or do the dirty work, he's
not a deep threat and will disappear for long stretches at the
next level. He'll never be a prime target and he can't change
anyone's passing game by himself, but he could be a whale of an
inside possession receiver if used correctly. He's the type of
unselfish receiver you want to have as a No. 3, but he lacks the
superstar streak the truly great ones possess. CFN Projection: Mid-Second to Third Round CFN
Position Rank: 11
17
116
4th Round
Ken Iwebema, DE Iowa
Iwebema was on the fast track to becoming an All-American and a
top pro prospect after a promising sophomore season, but he got
hurt and never lived up to his potential. While he has decent
size at 6-4 and 274 pounds, he doesn't have an NFL burst and he
didn't progress enough as a sacker to offer much hope that he'll
grow into one as a pro. He's strong and he'll do a lot of things
that don't show up on a stat sheet, but he has work to do to
become a regular starter. CFN Projection: Third Round
CFN Position Rank: 11
14
149
5th Round Timothy Hightower, RB Richmond At six-feet and 225 pounds with a good combination of power
and quickness, he can pound inside and can bounce to the outside
equally well. A good receiver, he could be used in a variety of
ways. However, even though he has decent measurables, he's not
an NFL athlete and never did anything special. He'll have to be
a special teamer to make it. CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN
Position Rank: NR
19
185
6th Round
Chris Harrington, DE Texas A&M
A baller. Tough against the run, productive throughout his Aggie
career, and a strong all-around player, Harrington was a good
leader who always has his motor running and is always going to
give 100%. He simply doesn't have NFL pass rushing skills and is
too small to be worked into a tackle. He'll work his way on to a
roster, but he's not going to be a regular starter. CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN
Position Rank: 13
18
225
7th Round
Brandon Keith, OT/OG Northern Iowa
A long and rocky college career, including a short stint at
Oklahoma, ended at UNI where he became dominant on an elite FCS
team. At 6-5 and 343 pounds, he could become a guard and has
more overall talent and was more productive than fellow Panther
tackle, Chad Rinehart. He'll likely be a versatile backup able
to play almost anywhere in a pinch. CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN
Position Rank: 19
