The Arizona Cardinals used their fourth-round pick to select UCLA offensive lineman Jon Gaines. He started games at guard, center and tackle. He is incredibly athletic. He is very intelligent.
What grade do they get for the pick?
Grade: A
While every pick that wasn’t center Luke Wypler was a bit of a surprise, getting to know more about Gaines makes him a slam dunk.
In addition to being a freak athlete, he has experience and smarts.
He also fits the profile of an analytic cheat code. He ran the short shuttle in 4.45 seconds. Since 2010, 24 of the 28 linemen who had a short shuttle of at least 4.47 seconds were drafted and those 24 players have started 84% of their games played. A 25th player, Jake Brendel, who went undrafted and now is the starting center for the 49ers.
As a fourth-round pick, his athleticism, versatility and intelligence make him a heck of a pick. He could easily be a starter this season.
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