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.
More draft primer analysis:CB
Draft primer:Wide receiver
Players under contract: Larry Fitzgerald; J.J. Nelson; John Brown; Jaron Brown; Aaron Dobson; Brittan Golden; Jeremy Ross; Andre Ellington; Marquis Bundy; Marvin Hall; Chris Hubert; Harvey Binford.
Need: Medium
Images of players projected to get drafted this month
Mike Williams, Clemson: Projected top-15 pick
Corey Davis, Western Michigan: Projected top-20 pick
John Ross, Washington: Projected first-round pick
Curtis Samuel, Ohio State: Projected second-round pick
Chris Godwin, Penn State: Projected second-round pick
Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington: Projected second-round pick
Ar'Darius Stewart, Alabama: Projected third-round pick
Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech: Projected third-round pick
Zay Jones, West Carolina: Projected third-round pick
JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC: Projected third-rounder
Amara Darboh, Michigan: Projected third-rounder
Chad Hansen, California: Projected third-round pick
Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky: Projected third-rounder
Malachi Dupre, LSU: Projected third-rounder
Noah Brown, Ohio State: Projected fourth-rounder
Dede Westbrook, Oklahoma: Projected fourth-round pick
Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech: Projected fourth-rounder
Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois: Projected fourth-rounder
Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia: Projected fifth-rounder
Shelton Gibson, West Virginia: Projected fifth-rounder
Mack Hollins, North Carolina: Projected fifth-rounder
Stacy Coley, Miami: Projected fifth-rounder
Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M: Projected fifth-rounder
Artavis Scott, Clemson: Projected sixth-rounder
Ryan Switzer, North Carolina: Projected fifth-rounder
Travis Rudolph, Florida State: Projected sixth-rounder
Amba Etta-Tawo, Syracuse: Projected sixth-rounder
KD Cannon, Baylor: Projected sixth-round pick
Josh Malone, Tennessee: Projected sixth-round pick
Robert Davis, Georgia State: Projected sixth-round pick
Bug Thomas, North Carolina: Projected seventh-round pick
Chad Williams, Grambling State: Projected seventh-round pick
The Cardinals' situation: Michael Floyd is gone and Fitzgerald could be playing his final season, so there are some long-term question marks, but Fitzgerald's decision to return in 2017 kept alarm bells from going off this year. If John Brown can get healthy and J.J. Nelson continues to progress, there are some nice pieces, while Jaron Brown, Golden, Ross and Dobson are all experienced veterans. The Cardinals didn't sign any big-name wide receivers during free agency and could use an infusion of young talent, but coach Bruce Arians likes the current group.
The draft class: There are three players projected to go in the first round – Clemson's Mike Williams, Central Michigan's Corey Davis and Washington's John Ross – but it's unknown how many of them will be available at No. 13. The Cardinals have a pair of speedsters already, so the bigger frames of Williams and Davis may make more sense than Ross, who broke the combine's 40-yard dash record. The Cardinals have found success hitting on wideouts in the later rounds under Keim and Arians, and may choose to look there again.
The conclusion: The draft has plenty of options, with some elite first-round talents and several intriguing prospects projected to go on the second and third days. The wide receiver group has long been a great strength of the Cardinals but it took a step back in 2016, as multiple players battled injuries and inconsistency. A rookie won't be needed to come in and dominate if Fitzgerald, Brown and Nelson play to their potential, but it would be nice to have another weapon for this season and the future.
