The Cardinals made a splash this offseason with a flurry of high-profile free agent signings, including J.J. Watt, Malcolm Butler and A.J. Green.
Now the team looks to make another splash with the 16th overall pick in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.
The Cardinals hold six total picks, but where in the order will GM Steve Keim be drafting?
Round 1: No. 16 overall
Round 2: No. 49
Round 5: No. 160
Round 6: No. 223 (from Vikings via Mason Cole trade)
Round 7: Nos. 243, 247 (from Bears through Raiders via Rodney Hudson trade)
The Cardinals’ 8-8 finish tied with the AFC West’s Las Vegas Raiders on the 2020 season.
Arizona earned the first-round pick ahead of Las Vegas because of its weaker strength of schedule: Cardinals opponents had a 47.5 winning percentage to the Raiders’ opposition with a 53.9%.
The last time Arizona had the No. 16 pick was in 2008 when it selected cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
It could be deja vu this year. Even with Butler in the fold, a majority of the latest mock draft trackers project the Cardinals taking a cornerback with the first-round pick.
There’s no third-round pick for the Cardinals, after the team traded it to the Raiders to land center Rodney Hudson.
However, the Cardinals did gain the seventh-round, 247th overall pick through the trade. Las Vegas originally acquired that pick from the Chicago Bears as part of the 2019 trade of kicker Eddy Pineiro.
Remember the DeAndre Hopkins trade? Who doesn’t? Well, Arizona will also be sitting out of the fourth round as its 2021 pick is the last piece of the trade with the Texans.
The Cardinals won’t be too upset about not having that pick, though, after the wide receiver posted 115 catches, 1,407 receiving yards and six total touchdowns in his first year with the team.
While the Cardinals originally gave up their sixth-round pick (201 overall) to the New York Giants for linebacker Markus Golden in 2020, the team gained one back in the recent trade with the Vikings. Minnesota got offensive lineman Mason Cole while Arizona will be selecting the No. 223 pick.
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