The Arizona Cardinals 2016 NFL Draft strategy should have one clear aim: improve the team on the inside. The Cardinals are heading into this season with eyes on a Super Bowl Berth. The embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers in last year’s NFC Championship Game was more of an unfortunate game played by Carson Palmer rather than exposing much of their weaknesses. Arizona have a plethora of weapons on both sides of the ball who can play outside the hash marks. Names like Patrick Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu, Michael Floyd, Larry Fitzgerald, David Johnson, and John Brown come to mind. However, the team is a bit lacking in size and talent on the inside part of the field, which is where the attention should be paid for at least the first two rounds in this year’s upcoming NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals 2016 NFL Draft: Top 3 Needs
Defensive Tackle
The Cardinals have created quite the duo in defensive ends Chandler Jones and Calais Campbell. Offensive lines are going to have some serious trouble protecting their quarterbacks and blocking for power runs to the outside. This is particularly true on Campbell’s side. Jones is a good pass rusher and can win 1-on-1 match ups on a relatively consistent basis. However, running away from Campbell’s side and on the inside could prove problematic if the Cardinals don’t address the defensive tackle position.
Cory Redding and Corey Peters are big bodies on the inside and can be space eaters but their ability to move between gaps and free up linebackers in the 3-4 is questionable. The Cardinals could use a large and athletic defensive tackle on the back end of the first round. A’shawn Robinson or Vernon Butler could be available when they are on the clock. Both players have the size and athleticism to fit the Cardinals system very well, especially Butler.
Tight End
The explosiveness of the Cardinals’ offense is no secret. They have speed, size, and a quarterback who knows how to use those tools in Carson Palmer. The only position they have a shortage of legit talent is the tight end spot. Jermaine Gresham is the best of the extremely average bunch and he only played 54% of the offensive snaps with little to show for it. Much like the Cardinals’ defense, the offense will have trouble making plays on the inside part of the field. The Cardinals’ need a tight end that can block on the inside and consistently catch passes down the seam. This year’s tight end class is weak, and Bruce Arians wouldn’t have to use a premium draft pick to land the best of the bunch.
Inside Linebacker
While using Deone Bucannon in a linebacker role has proven fruitful, Daryl Washington may not play another snap in the NFL and he was proving to be a good option on the inside when his head was on straight. Bucannon is a good safety-linebacker hybrid, but teams with good offensive lines and a big back can take advantage of the obvious size disparity when he lines up on the inside of the box. If the Cardinals’ can land an athletic, penetrating defensive tackle in the first round, don’t be surprised if they go for a short and stocky inside linebacker with good play recognition in the second. Kentrell Brothers could be on the radar, or perhaps drafting Reggie Ragland in the first round and then drafting a defensive tackle in the second round is the thought process in Arizona. Regardless of who is drafted on defense, it will most likely be aimed towards help on the inside.
