Click Here to Email This Story to a Friend Click Here for a Printer Friendly Version
Scout.com RSS Feeds 
Arizona Cardinals - NFC West
Tennessee State CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
Tennessee State CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Apr 25, 2008

Arizona Cardinals - NFC West, 2008 Draft Selections & Prospects

Arizona Cardinals

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


 



Story Tools
Top Stories 
Search Stories 
Discuss on Forums