Teams are putting the finishing touches on their preparation as the 2015 NFL Draft is nearly here.
To preview the draft for the Arizona Cardinals, I got together with Scott Allen of Raising Zona. Below are my questions followed by his answers.
1. What are the team’s biggest needs heading into the draft and how might they address them?
"Running back, pass rusher (either LB or DL), CBI think the Cardinals are going to definitely address all three of those areas in the draft. They only way they don’t address RB in the draft is if they miraculously get Adrian Peterson in a trade. I have Melvin Gordon going to the Cardinals in the first round but if the right pass rusher is available, maybe they wait until the second round to get their running back."
Raising Zona
2. What needs to happen for this draft to be considered a success?
"Address the three needs I mentioned but do not reach for someone. Draft for need but if there isn’t a viable CB say in the fourth or fifth round, don’t draft one in those rounds just because you need one. If they address the running back and the pass rushing in the draft I think you can call it successful for the Cardinals."
3. What in your mind would make this draft a failure?
"Missing out on someone. They need to not only find a pass rusher but if that rusher is on the defensive line they should still draft a linebacker for depth. Also if they don’t address the running back situation at all then I really don’t know what is going on at Cardinals headquarters. However general manager Steve Keim is a smart man and he will do the right thing. I highly doubt after the fact we will call this draft a failure."
4. What is a bold prediction for your team this draft?
"They will take a quarterback in the fourth or fifth round despite being set for at least the next two seasons at the number one and two spots. I’m not sure the Cardinals are sold on Logan Thomas for the future. I think someone like Brett Hundley could be taken by the Cardinals when there hasn’t been a lot of talk (for a change) about the Cardinals and the quarterback position."
5. What is a draft angle the general public might not be aware of for your team?
"Expect the unexpected. Last year the Cardinals drafted safety Deone Bucannon. Not one single mock draft I saw even mentioned his name anywhere close to that pick in the first round. The Cardinals fly under the radar and will do something none of us will expect. Don’t believe any pre-draft information given to us by Keim or head coach Bruce Arians."
For full Cardinals coverage, check out Raising Zona.
Next: 2-Round 2015 NFL Mock Draft