It’s no secret that many believe that Arizona borrowed heavily from Pro Football Focus’ draft rankings in the 2019 draft:
Kyler Murray was the top-ranked player on PFF’s board when they selected him first. Byron Murphy was the top-ranked player at the time Arizona took him at pick 33 and other players like Zack Allen and Andy Isabella were highly rated.
If they follow this model again, here are several players the Cards could value more so than others. Here are some.
Utah RB Zack Moss
The Cardinals have already met with Moss at the combine, and one of the reasons may be his high marks from PFF, who have him rated as their top running back over such household names as DeAndre Swift and Jonathan Taylor.
Moss gets these high marks for his tackle-breaking ability, his hard running style and his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Some have even compared him to Marshawn Lynch.
Georgia OT Andrew Thomas
Some might have been surprised that Arizona met with Thomas at the combine. After all, he has become an afterthought with the big three tackles in this draft usually listed ahead of him in Jedrick Wills, Mekhi Becton and Tristan Wirfs.
However, some might be surprised to learn that Thomas is the top-rated tackle on PFF’s board. They site his consistent production over his three seasons at both tackle spots.
Fresno State OL Netane Muti
Muti would stand out a lot more in a somewhat “ho-hum” interior offensive line class, but he has a rash of injuries that kept him from seeing the field more. However, his highlight reels on YouTube certainly contain lots of flashy blocks and pancakes.
Muti likely will last until Day 3 because of the injuries, but don’t be surprised if Arizona snatches him up if he continues to fall.
Washington State QB Anthony Gordon
It seems highly unlikely that Arizona would consider a backup quarterback until deep in Day 3, but Gordon is actually higher on PFF’s board than Jacob Eason.
He would also be an easy fit into Kingsbury’s system, coming from an Air Raid system at Washington State.
Missouri DT Jordan Elliott
Elliott is viewed as a boom or bust pick by many draft pundits and doesn’t have much production to say otherwise (3 sacks and 10 tackles for loss).
However, PFF took notice of the impact Elliott made on a play-by-play basis, giving the ex-Tiger very high marks:
Boise State EDGE Curtis Weaver
Weaver is one of the more peculiar prospects in the NFL draft – his body type doesn’t look like he would be as athletic as he is, but his production speaks for himself with 13.5 sacks this past season.
Weaver could be a target on Day 2 (some other media members have suggested the same) if Arizona cannot find a bookend to Chandler Jones, as his size and production would suggest he might be somewhat comparable to Markus Golden.
Oregon LB Troy Dye
Dye hasn’t gotten the national attention that players such as Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen, but PFF has Dye ahead of both of them, and has complimented his coverage skills:
If Dye is still available late in Day 2 or early in Day 3, he would seem to make a lot of sense given the Cardinals issues in coverage last season.
Iowa S Geno Stone
You likely won’t find Stone on many top-five lists for safeties, but he makes it on one as PFF’s fourth-ranked safety, ahead of much-heralded products in Kyle Duggar.
Stone could easily be had one or two rounds after these players, and, if he can prove himself on special teams, could be valuable depth on Day 3 if he lasts that long.
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Ep. 260
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