Cardinals Mock 2/3/23 With Two Trades

Each Friday, I would like to present a new mock for us to evaluate —- I think it helps us learn a lot about the players in this draft. Please, feel free to add your mock of the week to this thread.

I was able to make two trades:

1. ARI sends #3 pick to IND for the #4 and #35 picks.
2. ARI trades WR DeAndre Hopkins to BAL for pick #22.

Notes:

• ED Will Anderson Jr. Was happy to see Will Anderson available. If he wasn’t I would tempted to trade down again for more picks.
• WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Electric player. Can play inside and out. Has home run ability, but at times is inconsistent. Todd McShay questioned JSN’s hamstring injury that sidelined him for OSU’s bowl game, which may have affected his draft status. I was tempted to take Jordan Addison instead —- and will do more film study of the two —- because I think I might wind up having a higher grade on Addison. Plus he was a Pitt WR prior to this season and there’s a little something about Pitt WRs Cards’ fans kinda like.
• DI Caleb Kancey. Speaking of Pitt, Kancey lacks ideal height, both little else. He’s the most productive inside pass rusher in this draft. Plus, he’s very solid versus the run. This would be a home run to draft him here.
• CB Eli Ricks. Going back to Bama to tab the talented Ricks. I don’t think giving Byron Murphy $8-9M a year is a wise idea. Like Kyler, in four years he never once finished a season strong. Like Kyler, he seems to hit a wall after thanksgiving.
• T Matthew Bergeron is making quite a name for himself this week at the Senior Bowl. I like his balance and size. Scouts think he can play guard —- but I would like to pair him at RT opposite Josh Jones, with the thought of trading D.J. Humphries.
• G Steve Avila, according to Daniel Jeremiah, is a day one starter at guard. Plus him in opposite Will Hernandez (re-signed for 3 years $12M or somewhere in that vicinity). Avil is an iron man.
• C Joe Tippmann is an athletic 6-6 320 pound pivotman who was converted to C from stints at TE and T.
• LB Ivan Pace Jr. is Myjai Sanders’ teammate and like Myjai, Pace is a talented pass rusher.
• QB Tyson Bagent from Shepherd has been throwing the ball very well at the Senior Bowl. I have been impressed with his pocket presence, touch and accuracy.
• TE Austin Stogner in three years at Oklahoma had 754 yards and 8 TDs. He suffered a bad knee which turned worse when after getting the knee repaired he suffered a staph infection that fortunately he was able to recover from. This past season at South Carolina he caught 20 passes for 210 yards and a TD. Once considered a potential 1st round pick, Stogner could be a diamond in the making if he can return to the impressive form he displayed prior to the injury.
• T Carter Warren was a mainstay at LT for Pitt who suffered a season-ending injury this year. The 2nd team All-ACC performer is highly versatile. Some scouts project him at center.