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2009 NFL Draft Predictions: Arizona Cardinals

Written by Jimmy Boyd on April 20, 2009

cards-draft-42009 Winning the weak NFC West with a 9-7 regular season record didn’t have too many people impressed by the Arizona Cardinals heading into the postseason, but they are now. Arizona took the NFC by storm to advance to the Super Bowl before losing in a great game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. This team still has plenty of room to improve though, and if they do so on draft day, the Cards will be ready to make another Super Bowl run. Jimmy Boyd breaks down Arizona’s biggest draft needs, likely day one targets, and their recent draft track record in this 2009 NFL draft preview.

Biggest Draft Needs – Arizona’s offense was one of the best in football in 2008, but head coach Ken Whisenhunt realizes that it could be even better if it becomes more balanced. Expect the Cardinals to try to add a franchise running back to keep the opposition from dead pass rushing Kurt Warner. The Cardinals have needs at outside linebacker, tight end, and on the offensive line as well.

Likely Day 1 Targets – Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm come from the school of the Pittsburgh Steelers and that means that they would love to see this offense become more balanced by adding a franchise tailback. It appears Edgerrin James is nearing the end of the road, J.J. Arrington is already gone, and while Tim Hightower showed glimpses as a rookie, the team does not act as though he is the full-time answer. Chris “Beanie” Wells and Knowshon Moreno will likely be off the board, but the Cardinals could still get a guy like Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy or UConn’s Donald Brown. We saw the Cardinals leaning more on their running game in the postseason and adding a capable back will really aid this offense. I especially like McCoy as he is a burner with great balance and vision. I think he is an absolute steal if the Cards can get him at pick No. 31.

If the Cards aren’t thrilled about any of the backs when they pick, they could turn their attention to an outside linebacker. The draft is loaded with talented pass rushers. A guy like USC defensive end Clay Matthews should be available late in the first round. His stock has continued to rise with an unmatched work ethic that you would expect from a former walk-on.

Recent Draft Track Record – Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt and General Manager Rod Graves have made the Dennis Green Administration look clueless. In just two drafts, the Graves/Whisenhunt team has added a franchise offensive tackle in Levi Brown, a quality slot receiver in Steve Breaston, a shutdown corner in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and a solid rotational running back in Tim Hightower (worth a 5th round pick). Defensive end Calais Campbell and defensive tackle Alan Branch must continue to get better, but the bottom line is that Arizona is getting solid contributions from its first day targets.

Jimmy Boyd’s NFL picks are ready to conquer the NFL spreads once again in 2009. Make sure you bet on the NFL with Jimmy Boyd!

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