The Cardinals didn't make a big splash in free agency, preferring to add lower-priced veterans to the roster before turning their attention to the draft. The prospect pool is considered deep this year, and General Manager Steve Keim will aim to add pieces that can make an impact in 2017 and beyond. The three-day draft will kick off with the first round on Thursday, April 27, where the Cardinals have the No. 13 overall pick. Position primers will be rolled out daily as it approaches.
Draft primer:Defensive Line
Players under contract:NT Corey Peters; DT Josh Mauro; DT Rodney Gunter; DT Robert Nkemdiche; DT Frostee Rucker; DT Ed Stinson; NT Xavier Williams; DT Olsen Pierre.
Need: Medium
Images of the defensive linemen projected to get drafted next week
Myles Garrett, Texas A&M: Projected No. 1 pick
Solomon Thomas, Stanford: Projected top-5 pick
Jonathan Allen, Alabama: Projected top-5 pick
Derek Barnett, Tennessee: Projected first-round pick
Taco Charlton, Michigan: Projected first-round pick
Malik McDowell, Michigan State: Projected first-round pick
Charles Harris, Missouri: Projected second-round pick
Carl Lawson, Auburn: Projected second-round pick
Chris Wormley, Michigan: Projected second-round pick
Tarell Basham, Ohio: Projected second-round pick
Jordan Willis, Kansas State: Projected second-round pick
Larry Ogunjobi, Charlotte: Projected second-round pick
Derek Rivers, Youngstown State: Projected third-round pick
DeMarcus Walker, Florida State: Projected third-round pick
Caleb Brantley, Florida: Projected third-round pick
Daeshon Hall, Texas A&M: Projected third-round pick
Montravius Adams, Auburn: Projected third-round pick
Jaleel Johnson, Iowa: Projected third-round pick
Nazair Jones, North Carolina: Projected third-round pick
Dalvin Tomlinson, Alabama: Projected third-round pick
Davon Godchaux, LSU:Projected third-round pick
Trey Hendrickson, Florida Atlantic: Projected fourth-rounder
Vincent Taylor, Oklahoma State: Projected fourth-round pick
Elijah Qualls, Washington: Projected fourth-round pick
Carlos Watkins, Clemson: Projected fourth-round pick
Deatrich Wise, Jr., Arkansas: Projected fourth-round pick
Ryan Glasgow, Michigan: Projected fourth-round pick
Tanzel Smart, Tulane: Projected fourth-round pick
Eddie Vanderdoes, UCLA: Projected fifth-round pick
Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova: Projected fifth-rounder
Jarron Jones, Notre Dame: Projected fifth-round pick
DeAngelo Brown, Louisville: Projected fifth-round pick
Dawuane Smoot, Illinois: Projected fifth-round pick
Joe Mathis, Washington: Projected fifth-rounder pick
D.J. Jones, Ole Miss: Projected sixth-round pick
Hunter Dimick, Utah: projected sixth-round pick
Jeremiah Ledbetter, Arkansas: Projected sixth-round pick
Charles Walker, Oklahoma: Projected sixth-round pick
Josh Carraway, TCU: Projected sixth-round pick
Bryan Cox, Florida: Projected seventh-round pick
Treyvon Hester, Toledo: Projected seventh-round pick
Keionta Davis, Chattanooga: Projected seventh-round pick
Stevie Tu'ikolovatu, USC: Projected seventh-round pick
The Cardinals' situation: Star defensive line anchor Calais Campbell left for the Jaguars in free agency, and it remains to be seen how well the Cardinals absorb that loss. Coach Bruce Arians has talked highly of Gunter and Nkemdiche in recent months, and hopes they can adequately fill the void. Peters did a nice job at nose tackle last season, while Mauro, Rucker and Stinson should once again be in the rotation. Without Campbell, there are more snaps to go around, and the Cardinals need the rest of the group to step up.
The draft class: There are several highly-ranked defensive linemen, led by presumptive No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett from Texas A&M. Stanford's Solomon Thomas, Alabama's Jonathan Allen and Tennessee's Derek Barnett are also projected to go within the top 10 picks. There are a lot of different options on the first three days if the Cardinals feel like they need to beef up the group.
The conclusion: Faith has been professed in Nkemdiche and Gunter, which would seem to make it unlikely the Cardinals go after a defensive lineman in the first round, even with the loss of Campbell. However, there are several premium talents expected to go high, and if one slips maybe the value is too hard to pass up. The Cardinals seem to have more pressing needs, and they just spent their first-rounder on a defensive lineman a year ago, so a later-round pick seems more likely.
