Redraft of first round of 2024 goes differently for Cardinals

It has not even been a month since the 2024 NFL draft ended. The Arizona Cardinals had two first-round picks, selecting receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall and then defensive lineman Darius Robinson with the 27th pick.

In a redo of the first round, Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy has different ideas for the Cardinals.

Rather than taking Harrison fourth overall, he would have them take receiver Rome Odunze out of Washington, who actually went ninth overall to the Chicago Bears.

With talent level almost identical, we opt for Rome Odunze here as a safer pick when it comes to non-football issues.

What?

While Odunze is likely to have a fantastic career, people wonder about Harrison off the field for no reason at all. His issues have been pre-draft strategy and now business dealings, which have nothing to do with football.

He signed his rookie contract.

And as for the player, as good as Odunze is, in Harrison, you get a longer, more athletic, more versatile player. He was basically made in a lab. Everything about his play is a green flag.

As for the 27th pick, Popejoy has the Cardinals take Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins instead of Robinson. Wiggins was selected 30th overall by Baltimore.

We aren’t sold on Darius Robinson as a first-round prospect but the Cardinals need a starting cornerback and Nate Wiggins is a crazy athlete and coverage player.

This is actually a reasonable rebuttal. The Cardinals needed a cornerback badly. They addressed the position in the second and third rounds with Max Melton and Elijah Jones, both of whom have elite athleticism like Wiggins.

However, the Cardinals badly needed talent on the defensive line and he offers both strength inside against the run and pass-rushing juice both inside and outside.

Taking Wiggins over Robinson is reasonable. Taking Odunze over Harrison is silly.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Sub scribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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