The 2022 NFL Draft begins on April 28, which means that The Game Haus will be debuting draft profiles for every team. Each NFL team will be evaluated heading into this year’s draft, as our staff recaps their last season, highlights their needs and pinpoints their potential 2022 NFL Draft targets. The Arizona Cardinals are the subject of today’s 2022 NFL Draft profile.
Summary
The Arizona Cardinals were the last undefeated team in the league in 2021. They were 7-0 before losing to the shorthanded Green Bay Packers in Week 8. They would go on to finish with a record of 11-6, which was still only good enough for second place in the NFC West. Arizona’s first playoff appearance since the 2015 season ended in the Wild Card round, when they lost to their NFC West rival and eventual Super Bowl champions, the Los Angeles Rams.
During the 2021 offseason, the Cardinals were mired in some controversy when quarterback scrubbed his Instagram of all mentions of the Cardinals and all but demanded to be paid early. The contract still is not in place, but fences seem to have been mended to a degree. They have had some departures in the offseason, but still should be a formidable team. Here is how the Arizona Cardinals can use their 2022 NFL Draft picks to get better.
2022 NFL Picks
Arizona will have three picks to use in the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
First Round (one pick): No. 23
Second Round (one pick): No. 55
Third Round (one pick): No. 87
Team needs
Pass catchers- Christian Kirk signed with the Jaguars, A.J. Green is unsigned and pretty much every tight end on the 2021 roster needs to be replaced and/or upgraded upon.
Pass rusher- Losing Chandler Jones really hurts this team. He is a walking sack and a turnover machine. Replacing his production will be hard, but they need to try.
Guard- Both tackle positions are set, as is the center. But Arizona could do with an upgrade at both guard positions.
2022 Draft Targets
First Round:
Pick No. 23: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas
Burks could hop into Christian Kirk’s former role and not miss a beat. He can line up anywhere and even turn short passes into huge gains. He caught 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021. Burks can also be effective in the rushing game, as he ran the ball 14 times for 112 yards and an additional touchdown.
Given that DeAndre Hopkins can now officially be called “injury prone,” they could not go wrong drafting a receiver early. Burks can pick up the slack if he goes down, and if he doesn’t then their offense is just that much more dangerous.
Second Round:
Pick No. 55: Logan Hall, DL, Houston
As stated above, the Cardinals lost prolific pass rusher Chandler Jones in the 2021 offseason. Hall could be a good replacement for him due to his versatility. He can play on the interior or exterior of the defensive line and be productive at either position.
In 2021, Hall had 47 total tackles (24 solo), and six sacks. This was a huge step up from his 2020 season, in which he only had one. That is likely due to a bit of a physical transformation, which rose his draft stock. He definitely does not have anywhere near the turnover prowess Jones showed, but a young player can learn fast.
Third Round:
Pick No. 87: Cole Strange, OL, Chattanooga
There will be a run on offensive lineman in the first two rounds, so the Cardinals may choose to stock up on more defense here. They may take cornerback to take on Patrick Peterson’s role, for instance. But if they want to wait to take a guard until the third round, Strange could be their guy.
Strange has six years of college experience, and is a very talented run blocker. He has the size to make a difference right away in the NFL, and there is something to be said for small school offensive lineman trying hard to make names for themselves in the league.
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