The good news for the Arizona Cardinals was that they finished 10-6 in 2013; the bad news is that they play in the NFC West. As a result—thanks to the Seahawks and 49ers being in the same division—they finished third and missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Even though defensive dominance reigns within this division, offense has played significant roles for the two teams at the top. Cards quarterback Carson Palmer did throw for 4,000 yards last season, but had 22 interceptions in the process. Their running game was insufficient as it finished 23rd in the league. The Cardinals bolstered their offensive line by bringing in the one of the most coveted players on the Free Agent market, left tackle Jared Veldheer, but how did they improve in the draft?
2014 Arizona Cardinals Draft Picks:
1st Round (27th Overall): Deone Bucannon – SS, Washington State
2nd Round (52nd Overall): Troy Niklas – TE, Notre Dame
3rd Round (84th Overall): Kareem Martin – DE, North Carolina
3rd Round (91st Overall): John Brown – WR, Pittsburg State (KS)
4th Round (120th Overall): Logan Thomas – QB, Virginia Tech
5th Round (160th Overall): Ed Stinson – DE, Alabama
6th Round (196th Overall): Walt Powell – WR, Murray State
Cardinals Draft Grade: 5.5/10
For our full draft coverage, click here.
Cardinals Draft Review
The Best Player: Not only is Deone Bucannon the best player among these draftees, but he will also prove to be the most vital piece to the Cardinals defense. Known for his physicality and hard-hitting ability, Bucannon’s services will be used immediately in the secondary so that he can impose his will and power on tight ends and wide receivers coming in his direction.
The Best Value Pick: Of the seven draftees, quarterback Logan Thomas will have the greatest long-term value for Arizona. In the meantime, however, he will spend his entire rookie season on the bench and learn from Carson Palmer. The Cardinals had to draft their signal caller for the future, especially since Palmer is 34 with his better days behind him. Although Carson gives the Cardinals a better chance to win right now, the jury is still out on whether or not he can actually lead them to the postseason.
The Head-Scratcher: The selections of defensive ends Kareem Martin and Ed Stinson. It makes perfect sense from an age standpoint (Darnell Dockett is 33, John Abraham is 36), but as far as team needs are concerned, they should have went in another direction. The linebacker position was one of the primary needs for the Cardinals going into the draft; it would have been nice to see them take care of that position instead.
The Surprise Pick: The selections of wide receivers John Brown and Walt Powell. The Cardinals already have two productive – and proven – players at the top two wide-out spots in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. They even added Free Agent target Ted Ginn Jr. from the Carolina Panthers. Just like the defensive ends, it would have been ideal for the Cards to address another area.
The Steal: Arizona may have found a hidden gem in tight end Troy Niklas. Niklas is a big-bodied target that has proven to be productive over the middle of the field and in the red zone. He can also line up in short-yardage situations to help block in the ground game. Even though the NFC West has featured some of the league’s top running backs (Marshawn Lynch in Seattle, Frank Gore in San Fran and Stephen Jackson during his time with St. Louis), that does not mean the tight ends can’t produce. If Niklas can develop into that potent security blanket for the quarterback, it will take a lot of pressure off of Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.
Most Likely to Make an Impact in 2014: Bucannon will have the biggest impact by far. He will fill in right away to help solidify the Cardinals’ secondary. Along with the running backs, the NFC West features some of the most physical and all-around safeties in football (Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor for the ‘Hawks and Antoine Bethea and Eric Reid for the Niners). With the addition of Free Agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie, him and Patrick Peterson now become one of the top Cornerback Tandems in the NFL; this will allow Bucannon to roam all over the field and cause problems.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Camp: With his versatility on offense, Troy Niklas will gain notice from the coaching staff. It will be a luxury to have him along the front line to help upgrade a rushing unit that ranked towards the bottom of the league in 2013. And of course, he can cause nightmares in the aerial attack.
Bottom Line: The Arizona Cardinals leave Radio City Music Hall with a 5.5/10 draft grade. They made some strong picks for the future at the quarterback and safety positions, but they should have drafted more linebackers and offensive linemen. Hopefully for the fans out in the desert, this off-season can be the starting point of a finished, playoff product.
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