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The Arizona Cardinals have needs all over their roster. Name a position group, and new bodies are wanted. Free agency is almost here, which should solve many of the issues, but the draft is where teams are built.
While the Cardinals own the #3 overall pick in Round 1, whoever they decide to take will help the roster tremendously. Immediately.
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Mel Kiper, Jr. is known as one of the top college football draft analysts for ESPN. His knowledge of so many college players has always amazed even the most common viewer. Love him or hate him, Kiper can reel off stats and team needs without any notes.
His latest mock draft was just published, and his selection for the Cardinals is a bit surprising. Not that it is a bad choice, or isn’t a need, it’s just a player that hasn’t been matched up with Arizona yet on anybody else’s mock draft so far.
As assumed, Kiper has the Las Vegas Raiders taking QB Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick, then the New York Jets taking S Caleb Downs. Next up, the Cardinals.
#3: OLB David Bailey, Texas Tech
Probably the roster’s biggest need is the offensive line. Still on the board are Utah OT Spencer Fano and OG/OT Francis Mauigoa of Miami. Either would be a huge benefit for Mike LaFleur’s new offense that he is about to install.
Then in Round 2, Arizona could select OT Monroe Freeling of Georgia or Iowa OG Gennings Dunker, and then take RB Jadarian Price out of Notre Dame in Round 3 or Penn State RB Nick Singleton in Round 4, and instantly, the offense has been transformed.
Most mock drafts that have been published so far have Fano as the pick for Arizona. He is considered the top offensive tackle available and an instant need for the Cardinals. The fact that LaFleur is an offensive-minded coach affirms the need to improve the offensive line. The success of the offense will depend on how the O-Line plays.
Let’s examine the pick
Okay, so Kiper picks Bailey. The truth is, whoever the Cardinals select with the third pick is going to help this team going forward, regardless of being offense or defense.
Bailey (6’-3”, 250 pounds) is an elite pass rusher who is ranked as high as #3 and as low as #10 on most NFL draft pick sites. Here are Bailey’s rankings:
- Tankathon: #5
- Pro Football Focus: #4
- Draft Buzz: #10
- Walter Football: #4
- Draft Database: #4
- That Franchise Guy #10
- NFL.com: #3
- The Ringer: #4
- The Athletic/New York Times: #6
- Yahoo! Sports: #10
Bailey is a lightning rod coming off the edge. His forte has nothing to do with stopping the run, and he is a designated pass rusher and is just damn good at it. He possesses explosive athleticism constantly. Violent hands and relentless energy keep blockers off-kilter.
Naysayers will point to his medium build and suggest he won’t be able to handle 300+ offensive tackles for four quarters. The answer Bailey had in college was, first place a paw on me, and then stop me.
Bailey can get large pressure numbers and is able to turn the corner off the edge and beat offensive tackles with his quickness. One word: Anarchy. He emerged as one of the most productive edge players in the country last year.
2025 college stats: 14 starts, 52 total tackles, 14.5 sacks, 71 pressures, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 3 batted passes. His accolades include Unanimous All-American, First Team All-Big 12, and being named the Big-12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.
The 19.5 tackles for loss led the conference. The 14.5 sacks led the nation.
Although Bailey is listed as a linebacker, a more accurate depiction would be an EDGE rusher because he rushes the offensive backfield on every play.
Scouting report on The Ringer:
“Bailey’s a quick-footed rusher with an explosive first step and a variety of moves at his disposal: He uses long arms to strike and lock out opponents and keep them off his chest, he converts speed to power as a bull-rusher, he has an effective Euro-step inside counter, and his spin move regularly leaves tackles lunging. He’s a real pain in the ass to block, basically, as evidenced by his 39.5 percent win rate in true pass rush situations, per PFF, which ranked fourth best among pass rushers with 100-plus rushes last season. He brings excellent closing speed and arrives at the quarterback or ballcarrier with a thump, with eight forced fumbles over the past two seasons.”
If the Cardinals are looking for a productive bookend to pair with DE Josh Sweat, Bailey could be the answer. Sweat proved his worth as a solid free agency signing last year. DE Darius Robinson was supposed to be the answer to pair with Sweat, but so far has had his moments and that’s about it after wasting his rookie season with a calf injury and mediocre play this past season. Bailey is a speed rusher.
Other prospects
What may be odd about the selection of Bailey for Kiper is that Ohio State DE Arvell Reese and Rueben Bain, Jr. of Miami are considered the top two edge rushers.
Both of these guys are unrelenting pass rushers and will engage in disruption frequently. Fluid and explosive athletes, yet Kiper nabbed Bailey as his choice for the Cardinals. That may initiate a pause among most Arizona fans as to why.
Even Kiper admits it was a hard sell when he posted:
“Tough call here between Bailey and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese. I have Reese one spot higher on my board, but the Cardinals might opt for the more proven production. I would expect the Cardinals to address their quarterback situation in free agency and turn their attention to defense in Round 1 — despite new coach Mike LaFleur’s offensive background.”
So, with the Cardinals’ first pick in the draft, not only is an offensive tackle not in the picture, but the choice for Kiper came down to two pass-rushing demons.
The idea from Kiper is that Arizona can get a guard or a tackle in rounds 2-3 instead. Prospects such as OT Monroe Freeling of Georgia or Iowa OG Gennings Dunker in Round 2, and OT Isaiah World of Oregon or OG Chase Bisontis in the third round should be available.
Kiper offered:
“Simply put, (Bailey) gets after the QB. That’s what the Cardinals need after managing just 30 sacks last season, tied for the third fewest in the NFL.”
And while it is true Arizona will most likely select a young quarterback in this year’s NFL draft to groom with both Jacoby Brissett and perhaps Kyler Murray as tutors, it’s also too early to reach for the developmental QB when the Cardinals have other immense holes they need to fill on the roster.