Cardinals 2021 NFL Draft primer: Can Kyler Murray get to playoffs?
By Dylan Grimm
Top targets for Cardinals in 2021 NFL Draft
Target no. 1: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
One target that the Cardinals will likely target on day one is the linebacker out of Penn State in Micah Parsons. Parson was a star recruit coming out of high school and lived up to the high expectations while playing at PSU. Due to the coronavirus affecting the 2020 college football season, Parson opted out of the season and in doing so the PSU defense took a major step backward.
In just two seasons of play in college, we saw Parson total 191 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, six and a half sacks, five pass deflections, and six forced fumbles in just 26 career games. Parsons is a versatile and game-changing linebacker who would greatly benefit from this 3-4 attacking scheme of Vance Joseph. Playing alongside guys like Chandler Jones, J.J. Watt, Isaiah Simmons, and Buddy Baker would be a great fit for all parties involved.
Target no. 2: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech
With cornerback being a major position to address the Cardinals could easily take a long hard look at Caleb Farley out of Virginia Tech. If not for an injury we would likely see the stock of Farley be much higher than it currently is although it’s still high. Farley does his best when he can play in press man situations and man coverage as a whole.
His skillset and this defensive scheme will be a perfect pairing. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Farley has the ideal size to play on the outside at a high level. Farley is far from a perfect prospect and could improve his tackling overall but he is a recent wide receiver turned cornerback so to already have six interceptions with 19 pass deflections he has shown natural ability and skill for the position and should only get better.
Target no. 3: Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami
One other prospect that I think would be a great fit for the Cardinals’ offense would be the tight end out of the University of Miami in Brevin Jordan. Brevin Jordan has had his fair share of nagging injuries over his college career but nothing major that would make you avoid him entirely. He is a tad undersized and isn’t the best athlete on paper but the kid is a natural leader on the field and is a gamer.
Jordan led all college tight ends last season in yards after contact which shows just how tough he is to take down. His after-the-catch ability is tremendous although his high-end speed isn’t ideal and he oftentimes can be chased down by speedy defenders. Jordan is an H-back type of tight end and can run the ball, line up in the trenches, hop into the slot or even kick outside. Adding another offensive weapon to the arsenal for Kyler Murray would be huge and Jordan will likely be a day two-player or early day three at the lowest.