Four Arizona Cardinals Draft Prospects to Watch in College Football Playoffs
The Arizona Cardinals have had anything but a great year, but the team can take solace in knowing they'll have one of the top selections in the 2023 NFL Draft should dominoes fall in their favor.
There's rumors of the Cardinals moving forward with a new coach and general manager heading into the offseason, which obviously could alter which direction Arizona moves in the draft.
With 30 players set to hit free agency, some big decisions will be made over the coming months.
Some of college football's top talent will be facing each other in the College Football Playoffs. While Michigan-TCU is set to be a good watch, Cardinals fans should their attention to Georgia-Ohio State later today.
Four Arizona Cardinals draft prospects to watch in today's CFP:
Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State Buckeyes
Johnson is arguably set to be a top ten pick depending on how the board falls, and is easily one of the more talented pass-protectors in this class.
"Johnson has exposure playing both guard and tackle during his career with the Buckeyes. He is quick out of his stance and does a good job of sealing backside blocks," said CBS Sports' Josh Edwards.
"Johnson blocks with good leverage in the run game and uses his hands well to forklift defenders. He can do a better job of dropping anchor and absorbing contact. The Cincinnati native looks for work when disengaged and drives his feet on contact."
Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia Bulldogs
Carter is being heralded as one of the top defensive linemen to come out in quite a long time thanks to his ability to obliterate offensive game plans.
"We’ve established that interior defensive line pressure is invaluable in the modern NFL. Carter can be a transformative force for a defense in that regard. At 6’3″, 310 pounds, he has just about everything you could ask for," said PFN's Ian Cummings.
"Carter has elite burst, power capacity, and upper-body torque. He has a devastating combination of natural leverage and proportional length. And he’s a violent rusher with heavy hands, amped-up usage, relentless energy, and the lateral agility to quickly offset blockers and capitalize."
Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia Bulldogs
Talk is across the board for exactly who would be the first corner taken off the board, but many favors fall towards Ringo, and for good reason.
"Kelee Ringo is one of the more explosive athletes at the cornerback position. He checks the boxes as a disruptive press-man corner. Ringo works as the field, boundary, and nickel cornerback," said The Draft Network's Damian Parson.
"He is battle-tested in the SEC. He possesses the long speed to comfortably carry routes vertically. He’s at his best when he is patient in the contact window using soft-press techniques. His coverage is sticky but physical to cap routes quickly after the release. He does a good job staying in phase with the receiver’s stem. He’s an active and willing participant in the run game and as a tackler in the quick-screen game."
Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia Bulldogs
The Cardinals may need to trade down to justify this pick, but Jones finds himself in the mix as one of the top options in the middle parts of the first round.
"Broderick Jones started at left tackle for the first time this year, and it was clear he was still adjusting to how to best brace for and counter better pass-rush moves, but he checks a lot of the size and athleticism boxes, as well as shows good flexibility in his base to stay low at the snap. Those are all signs of an offensive tackle worth taking a chance on in the late teens," said PFF.
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