An interesting tweet came out from Peter Schrager this week that should have perked the ears of some Arizona Cardinals fans. It said that Georgia tackle Andrew Thomas and Florida cornerback CJ Henderson are getting more top-10 buzz than they were a month ago at the NFL combine.
Why would this interest fans? Well, for starters, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has gone on record saying that he values offensive tackles and cornerbacks above other positions because of the difficulty to find them in free agency later on.
For Thomas, they may be interested for a bevy of reasons. For starters, he is top-rated tackle by Pro Football Focus.
He also played right tackle before moving to the left side at Georgia, and would be likely able to play either should something happen to D.J. Humphries, given that last season was his first full 16 game season.
His detractors say he’s not as athletic as Tristan Wirfs and Jedrick Wills, nor does he have the upside of a Mekhi Becton.
Nonetheless, of all the tackles with first-round worthy grades, he might be the surest thing in terms of NFL success, and many project him to be a solid starter for many seasons as the worst-case scenario. Given Arizona’s misfortune with offensive lineman in the draft and their need to protect Kyler Murray, this would seem to be a smart pick.
As for Henderson, he could provide an instant starter across from Patrick Peterson and instantly transform the Cardinals secondary into one of the NFC’s best. Given his abilities in man coverage, and Vance Joseph’s defense likely wanting to leave the corners on an island, this would seem to be a viable fit.
His weakness is in run defense, but it’s very possible that he could be schemed out of too much responsibility there.
They may not take either player, but these are definitely two names to keep in mind on Thursday night at pick No. 8 for Arizona.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.
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