TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -The Arizona Cardinals have not had a losing record since Ken Whisenhunt arrived as coach. The same could be said of the team’s success in the draft.
Seventeen of the 20 players selected by the Cardinals in that three-year span still are on the roster.
The first-round draft picks – offensive tackle Levi Brown in 2007, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in 2008 and running back Beanie Wells in 2009 – are significant contributors. Only one selection could be classified as an out-and-out bust, diminutive linebacker Buster Davis, who was taken in the third round in 2007.
The Cardinals have snagged some overlooked talent in the later rounds, too, notably wide receiver Steve Breaston in the fifth round in 2007 and running back Tim Hightower in the fifth round in 2008. Tight end Ben Patrick, a seventh-round pick in 2007, caught a touchdown pass in the 2009 Super Bowl. Running back-kick returner LaRod Stephens-Howling, a seventh-rounder last year, played his way into a steady role.
system in place,” Whisenhunt said, “(general manager) Rod Graves, (player personnel director) Steve Keim, our scouts and our coaches. The evaluation process is a lot of give and take and it gives us a very good idea of not only the talent of our players but how they fit into our team.”
That system will be tested again when Arizona picks 26th overall in the opening round Thursday night.
With the uncertainty of what players will still be around by the time they pick, the Cardinals will focus on a handful of possibilities, ranked in order on their draft board. Whisenhunt insists there is no glaring area of need.
“I feel very good about our team,” he said. “We’re in a position where we have flexibility in this draft and that’s a very good thing.”
But the emphasis could well be on the defense, specifically at linebacker, a deep position in this year’s draft. Arizona lost inside linebacker Karlos Dansby to free agency and outside linebacker Chike Okeafor was not re-signed.
Whisenhunt said he is comfortable with the quartet of Clark Haggans and newly signed Joey Porter on the outside, with Gerald Hayes and free agent signee Paris Lenon inside. But Porter is 33 and Lenon 32.
The team needs to improve its mostly ineffective pass rush from the edge. Defensive end Bertrand Berry retired and probably wouldn’t have been re-signed anyway.
a gets its chance include Jerry Hughes of TCU, Sean Witherspoon of Missouri and Sergio Kindle of Texas. Defensive ends possibly in the mix include Ricky Sapp of Clemson and Brandon Graham of Michigan.
The Cardinals would love it if inside linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama slipped this low, but that might be a stretch.
On the other side of the ball, Brown is shifting from right to left tackle, leaving Jeremy Bridges and Brandon Keith, a seventh-round pick in 2008, on the right side, along with gigantic Herman Johnson, picked in the fifth round last year.
If Arizona goes for a tackle, Anthony Davis of USC is a possibility.
The Cardinals have seven picks – two in the third round but none in the fifth.
If the past few years are any indication, expect Graves and Whisenhunt to look beyond the major universities. Rodgers-Cromartie came from Tennessee State and Hightower from Richmond. Last year, Arizona picked cornerback Greg Toler from tiny Saint Paul’s College in the fourth round.
Add A Comment