Cardinals trade back, land Greg Newsome II in 2021 NFL Mock Draft

Round 5, Pick 160: Tedarrell Slaton, DT, Florida

The Cardinals added Watt this offseason and will have Chandler Jones returning from his season-ending injury. However, Rashard Lawrence hasn’t been the most productive defensive lineman, neither has Zach Allen. They could benefit from adding a guy like Tedarrell Slaton in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Slaton has an impressive frame for a defensive line prospect. He is 6-foot-5 and 358 pounds. Even so, he looks much slimmer than his weight sounds. Slaton is able to get low in his stance and is an extremely powerful player. He is more of a two-down player, though, so he won’t provide much help on third down or obvious passing downs. Slaton was a big part of the Gators’ defense in 2020. He started all 12 games in the middle of the defensive line, finishing with 37 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

But as far as adding depth to the Cardinals’ defensive line, Slaton could be a solid pick for them. The Cardinals’ defensive front is already looking pretty scary with Watt and Chandler Jones. By adding Slaton, they would have much-needed depth. Jones and Watt are both up there in age, plus Jones is coming off an injury.

Round 6, Pick 223 (via MIN): Tre’ McKitty, Tight End, Georgia

The starting tight end for the Arizona Cardinals right now is Maxx Williams. Williams has been plagued by injuries for much of his career. In six seasons, he has only started 39 out of 96 games. He has never had over 40 receptions or 300 receiving yards.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Cardinals bring in a tight end through free agency, such as Tre Burton. Even if they do sign a free agent tight end, they will probably grab one through the draft as well.

McKitty is a well-rounded tight end. He is effective in the passing game, and he is a capable blocker. He doesn’t have the most speed or burst in his game, but he has the size and potential to be a late-round steal at tight end for the Cardinals.

In fact, McKitty was a four-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class. He made ESPN’s Top 300 list. It may be that situational factors and injuries have prevented McKitty from showing his true worth. This could be a bargain pick with a high upside for the Arizona Cardinals. Every franchise QB deserves to have a solid receiving tight end to rely on.