The agreed trade that sends quarterback Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos changes the landscape of the NFL draft, especially with the NFL combine complete.
The Seahawks now have a first-round pick, one in the top 10.
With that in mind, ESPN’s Todd McShay has a new mock draft, updated with combine information and trades. In his last mock draft, he had the Arizona Cardinals going with a pass rusher.
This time around, it is a cornerback. He projects they select Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie.
During their late-season collapse, the Cardinals struggled to contain opponents’ passing games. From Week 14 until the end of the regular season, only Houston allowed more passing yards per attempt than Arizona’s 8.2, and the Cards tied for last in the NFL with just one interception. Now Robert Alford is off to free agency, and Arizona could use Byron Murphy Jr. in his more traditional nickelback role. That means the cornerback corps are seeking reinforcements. McDuffie is smooth and stays with receivers so well. He can identify routes, turned in a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash at the combine and flashes the ability to make plays on the ball. And this would be the value pick of the night, because McDuffie isn’t expected to wait this long for his name to be called.
A cornerback makes a lot of sense. They have Murphy and Marco Wilson and will surely add a veteran in free agency. The issue down the stretch of the season was simply depth. Wilson and Alford both missed time, leading to Antonio Hamilton and Kevin Peterson both having to start.
The Cardinals do love Washington defensive backs, too. Murphy, safety Budda Baker and linebacker Zeke Turner all played in the secondary for the Huskies.
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