The NFL draft is still more than a month away and the Arizona Cardinals are still evaluating players and ranking them to prepare for when they make their selection.
But who are the best players for the No. 8 pick in the first round?
Assuming Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young and Ohio State cornerback Jeff Okudah are both going to be unavailable, here are my rankings for who I would select and why.
1. Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons
The more I think about it, Simmons is my favorite player here. My only concerns about him have nothing to do about him but about whether or not defensive coordinator Vance Joseph would use him right.
The Cardinals have glaring needs at inside linebacker and off the edge. They struggle to cover tight ends and running backs.
Simmons would fit in either as an edge rusher or as an off-the-ball defender. He has better length and better speed than Haason Reddick. He has actually played in coverage and has excelled at it. He is what a refined Reddick would look like.
Used off the edge, he can rush and drop in coverage, meaning Chandler Jones never has to drop. He can play inside. He can be moved out of the box to cover. If Joseph can figure out to maximize his abilities, meaning they need other players at other positions to fill in when he moves around, he is the best player. Of course, he might already be off the board.
2. Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs
What I like about Wirfs is the sheer athleticism, the background and the versatility. He appears to be a slam dunk of a pick. The Cardinals could use a right tackle. He can play it. He could play left tackle. He could even slide inside and play guard. He comes from the Big 10. His coach at Iowa, Brian Ferentz, was an offensive lineman and former offensive line coach.
Why do I rank him over the top receivers? It comes down to the depth of the tackle class. I think Wirfs is a sure thing. If the Cardinals take a receiver at the top of the draft and then look for a tackle later, the talent dropoff is big. The talent dropoff at receiver is not so great.
Take Wirfs if he is there, take a receiver in the second or third round dominate offensively with Kyler Murray at quarterback.
3. Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb
Lamb is the perfect match for the Cardinals. He has size. He has speed. He has ball skills. he has a connection with Kyler Murray and the offense. He can play outside. Oklahoma’s opponents had to game plan specifically for Lamb and he was still dominant. Of all the receivers in the draft, he is the one who could be the most like Larry Fitzgerald.
3. Alabama OL Jedrick Wills
Outside of Wirfs, Wills is the safest bet as a lineman. He is athletic enough and he just doesn’t lose battles often. Again, because the depth at tackle is thin after the top four or five players and any tackle who makes it out of the first round has some notable drawbacks, I put Wills ahead of all the receivers other than Lamb.
4. Alabama WR Jerry Jeudy
Jeudy has all the physical tools. He is a smooth route runner. He and Lamb are basically 1A and 1B. I don’t think his ceiling is as high as Lamb’s but it still is high.
5. Louisville OT Mekhi Becton
Some aren’t as high on him, but this young man has size and athleticism. He has great feet. He might be the biggest boom-or-bust lineman of the group, but having bookends of Becton with D.J. Humphries on that line would be fun to see and I think Becton and Humphries would become very close.
6. Georgia OT Andrew Thomas
Thomas could be a franchise left tackle. He can play on the right side, as he did as a freshman. Daniel Jeremiah says he ends up on the ground a little too often, so that is a concern, but he is a fairly safe pick.
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