Subscribe
Follow Us
The Arizona Cardinals are readying for the 2023 NFL Draft after a very disappointing season. Once star quarterback Kyler Murray went down with a torn ACL in Week 14 of the 2022 NFL Season, the campaign was essentially over.
It was Kliff Kingsbury's last year in Arizona being head coach, as the Cardinals fired him after the season. The Cardinals brought in Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to be their new head coach, and he is hoping for a much more successful tenure than his predecessor.
With the 2023 NFL Draft quickly approaching, the Cardinals have a slew of needs across the roster in order to help them become a championship contender. Offensively, names like Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Zach Ertz, and James Conner form a formidable unit. On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals need a lot more help.
The Cardinals will be without JJ Watt this year, but still have a few solid names on defense. Budda Baker and Isaiah Simmons are both draft picks that have panned out for the Cardinals, and anchor that side of the ball. Still, the unit as a whole was abysmal last season, and they are in need of desperate upgrades in the talent department.
This means that the 2023 NFL Draft is as important a draft as the Cardinals have ever had. While they need to do due diligence on all of their selections, they need to ensure they don't draft the wrong guys as well. So, who are the players the Cardinals should avoid in the draft?
Here are two players in particular the Cardinals must pass on in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Byron Young, DT, Alabama
Byron Young is an imposing 6'3, 294 pound defensive tackle from the Alabama Crimson Tide that expects to be an early round draft pick. He could immediately fill an interior defensive line role that the Cardinals are seeking. However, his performance at the NFL Combine indicates he is not the player he projects to be. The Cardinals should pass.
Young was slower than expected at the combine, both in his lateral and fluid movements and his straightaway speed. Other defensive tackles like Calijah Kancey showed much better speed at the position.
Article Continues Below
Speed wasn't as big of an issue for Young at Alabama, as he had the ability to overpower the defenders he faced. This won't be the case in the NFL, and it will be interesting to see if Young can develop the movement and moves to get into the backfield without simply using brute strength.
The Cardinals should not have the patience to see this materialize. They definitely need to upgrade on the defensive line, but considering options other than Young is better thinking.
Mike Morris, DE, Michigan
Mike Morris had an incredible junior season at Michigan. He was named Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2022, appearing in 12 games with 11 starts. Over the course of the season, Morris had 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 23 stops, three pass breakups, one blocked kick, and one forced fumble. Coming out of the Big Ten, Morris tracks as a prospect who could produce right away. However, the Cardinals shouldn't spend one of their eight selections on the former Wolverine after his NFL Combine performance.
Morris ran a 4.95 40-yard dash, not even close to the speed elite defensive ends possess in today's NFL. His 28.5” vertical jump and 22 reps on the bench press left a lot to be desired. His numbers during the year might have stood out on paper, but the ones at the combine tell a different story.
Along with the combine performance, questions of Morris' motor have come up in the past. Scouts believe he needs to bring a more consistent intensity to his play, which is something that could make up for apparently less than ideal athleticism he brings to the NFL. In the Cardinals defense, he would be playing opposite of Simmons, and Arizona needs someone to free up rushing for their star outside linebacker.
If Morris doesn't have the athleticism to regularly dispel NFL offensive lineman, his energy can't be questioned. He would be teammates with Baker, who has been the subject of multiple viral clips where he is the voice of intense pep talks to his teammates. There is little doubt that Baker only wants high-intensity players.
Morris could end up producing numbers like he did at Michigan, but the Cardinals can't afford question marks. They should think twice if Mike Morris is on their draft board.
