With the return of tackle Marcus Gilbert and Justin Murray, things might change but the biggest trend among mock drafts and the Arizona Cardinals is having them take a tackle with the eighth overall pick. ESPN’s John Clayton, writing for the Washington Post, is the latest to follow the trend. In his latest mock draft, he has the Cardinals going with an offensive tackle.
He has them selecting Iowa tackle Tristan Wirfs.
I thought Wirfs made sense for the Cardinals at this spot even before they dealt their second-round pick as part of the blockbuster trade for star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and it’s an even better fit now. Wirfs could give Arizona an athletic bookend opposite left tackle D.J. Humphries to protect last year’s top overall pick, quarterback Kyler Murray.
This mock draft did come out just before the team announced the return of Gilbert, who was set to be the team’s starting right tackle last year but tore his ACL in the first week of practice to start the year.
Taking Wirfs would mean having him battle with Gilbert and Murray, who started 12 games last season and pleased the coaching staff with his play, for a starting job.
The Cardinals’ roster is currently constructed in a way that makes it so their first-round pick doesn’t automatically jump into the starting lineup. Wirfs might not start the season as the starter.
If the Cardinals want to take a player who will have the biggest impact now, he might not be the best choice, although he would be a great fit beyond 2019, as both Gilbert and Murray will be free agents.
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