Arizona Cardinals

2017 NFL Draft: Arizona Cardinals Post-Free Agency 7-Round Mock Draft

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:51 p.m. ET

Fansided, Tyler Olson/FanSided via NFL Spin Zone

The 2017 NFL Draft is just over a month away, and with the rush of free agency having concluded, the Arizona Cardinals are focused on hitting paydirt in April.

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim didn't make any big splashes at the start of free agency like some assumed he may. Aside from re-signing Chandler Jones to a long-term contract, Arizona made a lot of headlines for the guys they let walk.

Calais Campbell, for instance, is a huge loss to the Cardinals defense as is safety Tony Jefferson. Both were key pieces to Arizona's defense that while ranked well fell short of expectations. They believe to have Campbell's replacement already on the roster but the void left by Jefferson, as well as DJ Swearinger, can't go unnoticed.

With that being said, they brought in Antoine Bethea as a short-term option at safety. Karlos Dansby was also signed to take over Kevin Minter (not yet signed anywhere in free agency) in the middle of James Bettchers' 3-4 defense.

April 27 will be the start of a comeback campaign for head coach Bruce Arians after a lackluster 7-8-1 season. How will they aim to improve? This is a possible course of action with this seven-round mock draft.

Sep 22, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Mike Williams (7) runs after a catch in the second quarter of their game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The Tigers won 26-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1: Mike Williams, WR – Clemson

A couple of weeks ago I put together the top five targets for Arizona in the first round. Prior to his torn Achilles, Sidney Jones was a favorite to go 13th overall. Now I think all signs point towards wide receiver unless Keim and Arians fall in love with a quarterback.

Wide receiver isn't a desperate need right now, but it will be. There's a lot of talent at the position with the ageless Larry Fitzgerald leading the group, but dependability trumps talent when a group can't seem to stay on the field.

Arizona will be yearning for assets at receiver come 12 months from now. Fitzgerald is close to retiring, John Brown may not be reliable moving forward, and Jaron Brown is coming off a torn ACL. To throw more caution to the wind, both Browns are set to become free agents next offseason. [Insert quarterback] could be in trouble at the start of 2018 season.

A talent like Mike Williams is hard to pass on without a hard look. With size like Julio Jones, there's little doubt that he will be a Pro-Bowler right from the start of his career. The 98 catches and 11 touchdowns, along with helping lead a team to a National Championship less than two months ago, are enough to prove his worth. Western Michigan's Corey Davis is an option too as is the fast-rising Zay Jones from East Carolina. It's all about who they love the most.

Sep 24, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; California Golden Bears quarterback Davis Webb (7) throws a pass against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the first half at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Round 2: Davis Webb, QB – Cal

Carson Palmer knows his time is coming to an end in the NFL. With no more than a couple more years of quality play left in the NFL, 2017 is an opportunity to bring in his eventual successor. After what's expected to be a surge of quarterbacks taken in the first round, it's up in the air when the next batch of signal callers will go. Between Brady Kaaya, Davis Webb, and Nathan Peterman, any of those three could go between Rounds 2 to 4.

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Arians loves his big quarterbacks. He was successful with Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh and Andrew Luck in Indianapolis. He's had plenty of success with Palmer now in Arizona, too. At 6-5 Webb could very well be the next one in line. And one NFL executive thinks (per Niners Wire of USA Today) Webb could turn out to be the best quarterback in the 2017 class.

The numbers aren't eye popping when you're looking at Webb throughout college. After starting out as a freshman starter at Texas Tech in 2013, he was eventually benched for another name you may recognize, Patrick Mahomes. Webb then chose Cal over Colorado as he made the move as a grad-transfer (Webb studied his Masters in Public Health at Cal-Berkely). The move ultimately turned out for him as he replaced Jared Goff, throwing for 37 touchdowns with just 12 inteceptions in 2016 for 4,295 yards and completed 61.6 percent of his passes.

Many are worried about the ceiling for Kaaya at the professional level. Those at the next level worry about his lack of ability to throw under pressure. One or two years learning from a guy like Palmer could help that.

Oct 24, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive back Corn Elder (29) tackles Clemson Tigers wide receiver Germone Hopper (5) during the first half at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Round 3: Corn Elder, CB – Miami (FL)

The first round is a realistic option for the Cards to look at corner. The talent pool is outrageous at cornerback this year so if they can hit on other needs in the first two rounds and find a quality corner in round three they'll be happy. That is, however, as long as they get a quality corner. In Round 3, Corn Elder won't be considered a steal throughout the NFL at first, but with time he could be just that.

I'm personally a big fan of Elder because of his playmaking abilities and his willingness to come up and make the tackle. You can see both instances below.

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A fun fact for Cardinals fans: Elder is inspired by none other than Tyrann Mathieu (per the Palm Beach Post). You can he has the mentality like the Honey Badger with his willingness to come up and hit.

What I love most about that second play is not only his beat you up attitude, but his ability to read the play prior to the snap. It'd be a dream scenario to have two types of these players on Arizona's attacking-type defense.

Sep 17, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes tight end George Kittle (46) runs with the ball as North Dakota State Bison safety Tre Dempsey (3) looks to make a tackle during the game at Kinnick Stadium. North Dakota State won 23-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4: George Kittle, TE – Iowa

The Cardinals made it a priority to re-sign Jermaine Gresham. They need to address the tight end position in the draft, however.

If they choose to wait until the later rounds, they'll risk missing out on top prospects like O.J. Howard, David Njoku, Evan Engram, Adam Shaheen and the other top-end prospects at the position. Really the list goes on and on. Fortunately there's a ton of depth this year at tight end with George Kittle coming in as one of the more interesting out of the bunch.

The Iowa product has a knack for turning out productive tight ends in the NFL. Dating back to Dallas Clark they've produced the likes of Scott Chandler, C.J. Fiedorowicz and Brandon Myers. From a size perspective Kittle projects more like Clark, one of Peyton Manning's favorite targets throughout his years in Indianapolis.

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While his draft stock probably rose a couple rounds with the showing at the combine, it's Kittle's run-blocking skills that prove his value.

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Pro Football Focus rated Kittle as the top tight end entering the 2016 season, in large part because of what he means in the run game. The NFL Draft is about finding those mid-to-late round gems. Kittle has that written all over him.

Sep 3, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive tackle Nazair Jones (90) reacts after a defensive stop against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter of the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5: Nazair Jones, DT – North Carolina

As hit on before, Campbell has taken off for the beaches of Jacksonville. Keim and Arians are all-in on Robert Nkemdiche taking over the reigns this upcoming season but he only played in 82 defensive snaps this past season. Is he really ready for a full pro season?

That's a question we'll find out next fall. For Arizona they'll need a contingency plan by adding another big body up front. At 6-6 and 295 pounds, Nazair Jones continues to be a guy I think can complement the Cardinals' defensive line. He's one of the biggest interior defensive lineman in the draft this season. For that reason alone, this may be a stretch to get him this late—but if he's available then snag him.

Not only is he big, but he produced in his time as a Tar Heel. Only three separate times this past season did he have fewer than five tackles in a game, proving that he's a tough guy to get past. Coupling that with a strong defensive coaching staff and his size, he could develop into a real force in Arizona.

Oct 8, 2016; Starkville, MS, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive back Johnathan Ford (23) tackles Mississippi State Bulldogs wide receiver Donald Gray (6) during the first quarter of the game at Davis Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5: Johnathan Ford, S – Auburn

Like many other positions in the draft, safety projects as having a deep class with quality depth for the NFL. For a guy like Auburn's Johnathan Ford, to be projected as a late-round prospect is fair, although his collegiate production may speak a different story. The converted-running back led the Tiger defense in tackles in both 2014 and 2015 before starting 12 games at nickel corner this past season.

You need a safety in the NFL level that can tackle in the third level. You also need one that can run, and Ford proved he has top-safety speed after running a 4.38 and 4.34 at his pro day (pre the Montgomery Advertiser) earlier this month.

He and Elder would both be joining a secondary that needs all the help they can get, whether it be at corner or safety. The fact that Ford has experience and the ability to play nickel, too, is only more reason for Arizona to take a late-round flyer on him.

Nov 19, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back De'Veon Smith (4) avoids the tackle by Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Tony Fields (19) in the first half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Round 6: De'Veon Smith, RB, Michigan

David Johnson was having an elite year before he went down with a scary knee injury to end the 2016 season. Most feared the worse, but were all happy to learn it was just a sprained MCL.

Between carries and reception, Johnson touched the ball 373 times last season. To keep a running back fully healthy down the stretch and fresh for the playoffs, one can't continue to do that. Arizona needs a reliable running back to keep Johnson's legs fresh. They won't get that from Andre Ellington, which is why they need to address it in this year's NFL Draft.

De'Veon Smith emerged as Michigan's running back under Jim Harbaugh running for 753 and 846 yards in 2015 and 2016, respectively. One thing to note is he only had one more carry during Michigan's route to the 2017 Orange Bowl than he did the previous season, rushing for 4.7 yards per carry as opposed to 4.2 yards per carry in 2015. He also had 10 touchdowns last season compared to six the previous year.

Arizona doesn't need someone to provide a dual-threat option at running back, although they wouldn't deny it. Johnson is too talented a weapon in the passing game and he'll continue to be a three-down back. However, Smith can provide the eventual play off from time-to-time. At 223 pounds, he can do just that.

Jan 21, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; West Team kicker Austin Rehkow (20) kicks a field goal during the first quarter of the East-West Shrine Game at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Round 7: Austin Rehkow, K/P – Idaho

Chandler Catanzaro took a Blair Walsh-esque nose dive this past season as he struggled to be consistent. After making 87.9 and 90.3 percent of his field goals his first two years, respectively, he made just 75 percent this past season. He's also missed nine extra points the past two seasons.

Now Catanzaro is gone but Arizona elected to bring in 42-year-old Phil Dawson this offseason. He's made 18-of-21 and 21-of-24 field goals the past two seasons, so age isn't slowing him down yet, but it will catch up with him fast especially in terms of leg strength.

Like the kicker position, there wasn't a punter in Arizona in 2016 that effectively did his job either. Of the four players that kicked punts last season, not one averaged over 44 yards a punt. Ryan Quigley had the most attempts (34) and averaged just 41.6 yards a punt.

A special teams unit needs to be trusted. While the selection of Austin Rehkow is primarily to take over punting duties, he would assume kickoff duties as well, saving Dawson's leg strictly for kicking field goals. If you question his leg strength, stop: he kicked a 67-yard field goal in high school.