The NFL draft will be held from April 28-30 in Chicago. The Cardinals have addressed many of their biggest needs through the Chandler Jones trade and free agency but will aim to add more impact pieces. We'll take a look at each position group as the draft beckons.
Draft primer: Offensive line
Cardinals under contract:T Jared Veldheer; G Mike Iupati; G Evan Mathis; T D.J. Humphries; C A.Q. Shipley; G Earl Watford; G Antoine McClain; T Rob Crisp; T John Wetzel; C Taylor Boggs; T Edawn Coughman; G John Fullington; C Valerian Ume-Ezeoke
Need: Medium
Images of the offensive linemen projected to get selected in the NFL draft
Stanford G Josh Garnett: Projected second-rounder
Kansas G Cody Whitehair: Projected second-rounder
Arizona State G/C Christian Westerman: Projected second-rounder
Missouri G Connor McGovern: Projected third-rounder
Oregon State G Isaac Seumalo: Projected third-rounder
Washington State G Joe Dahl: Projected third-rounder
Michigan G Graham Glasgow: Projected fourth-rounder
LSU G Vadal Alexander: Projected fourth-rounder
Boise State G Rees Odhiambo: Projected fifth-rounder
Arkansas G Sebastian Tretola: Projected fifth-rounder
San Diego State G Darrell Green: Projected sixth-rounder
North Carolina G Landon Turner: Projected sixth-rounder
North Carolina State G Joe Thuney: Projected sixth-rounder
Arkansas G Denver Kirkland: Projected sixth-rounder
Harvard G Anthony Fabiano: Projected sixth-rounder
Illinois G Ted Karras: Projected seventh-rounder
Temple G Kyle Friend: Projected seventh-rounder
Alabama C Ryan Kelly: Projected first-rounder
Notre Dame C Nick Martin: Projected second-rounder
USC C Max Tuerk: Projected third-rounder
Missouri C Evan Boehm: Projected fourth-rounder
Michigan State C Jack Allen: Projected fifth-rounder
Iowa C Austin Blythe: Projected seventh-rounder
Mississippi T Laremy Tunsil: Projected top-5 pick
Michigan State T Jack Conklin: Projected first-rounder
Notre Dame T Ronnie Stanley: Projected first-rounder
Ohio State T Taylor Decker: Projected first-rounder
Indiana T Jason Spriggs: Projected second-rounder
Texas Tech T Le'Raven Clark: Projected second-rounder
Auburn T Shon Coleman: Projected second-rounder
Texas A&M T Germain Ifedi: Projected second-rounder
LSU T Jerald Hawkins: Projected third-rounder
UCLA T Caleb Benenoch: Projected third-rounder
Western Michigan T Willie Beavers: Projected fourth-rounder
Stanford T Kyle Murphy: Projected fourth-rounder
Georgia T John Theus: Projected fourth-rounder
Mississippi T Fahn Cooper: Projected fifth-rounder
North Dakota State T Joe Haeg: Projected fifth-rounder
Auburn T Avery Young: Projected sixth-rounder
West Georgia T Dominique Robertson: Projected sixth-rounder
Nebraska T Alex Lewis: Projected sixth-rounder
Nebraska T Cole Toner: Projected seventh-rounder
South Carolina T Brandon Shell: Projected seventh-rounder
Analysis: The free agent addition of right guard Evan Mathis gives quarterback Carson Palmer three veteran offensive linemen protecting him, along with left tackle Jared Veldheer and left guard Mike Iupati. They form an impressive core, and offensive line figures to be an area of strength as long as the other two spots are solidified. Former first-round draft pick D.J. Humphries is expected to start at right tackle, so center is the most likely option if the Cardinals look for an offensive lineman early in the draft. A.Q. Shipley is currently penciled in at the position, but it wouldn't be a surprise for General Manager Steve Keim to select a rookie to compete for the job.
Alabama's Ryan Kelly is the highest-rated center and has been connected to the Cardinals at No. 29 in several mock drafts. It's not a given that he's still on the board at that point, and no other centers are projected to go that high. Notre Dame's Nick Martin and USC's Max Tuerk are expected to be second-day selections, but could be gone before the Cardinals draft in the third round. While only six centers are projected to be drafted, coach Bruce Arians mentioned that many NFL centers transition from guard or tackle, which greatly opens up the pool of possibilities.
The Cardinals lost tackles Bobby Massie and Bradley Sowell as well as guards Ted Larsen and Jonathan Cooper this offseason, so they could be on the lookout for line depth later in the draft. Any additions would have to battle players like Earl Watford, Antoine McClain and Rob Crisp for a roster spot.
AZCARDINALS.COM SUGGESTS:________
