Arizona Cardinals: Seven-Round 2015 NFL Mock Draft

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November 22, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins linebacker Eric Kendricks (6) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Southern California Trojans during the first half at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Until an abundance of injuries (most notably at the quarterback position) derailed their run, the Arizona Cardinals were one of the best teams in the NFL for a good portion of the 2014 season.

Led by an aggressive defensive and an explosive offensive, the Cardinals sprinted out to a 9-1 start, before fading down the stretch to finish the regular season at 11-5. In the playoffs, they lost in the Wild Card round to the Carolina Panthers, leaving fans of the team wondering what could have been.

Arizona will welcome back most of the core players that led them to the hot start in 2014, and will be a dangerous team in 2015.

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The biggest story line heading into the season will be the health of quarterback Carson Palmer. Days after signing a three-year extension with the team, Palmer torn the ACL in his left knee in the Cardinals’ week 11 match-up against the St.Louis Rams. He obviously missed the rest of the season, but surgery went well and Palmer is working towards being ready for the beginning of next season.

Cardinals’ General Manager Steve Keim recently told Darren Urban of azcardinals.com that: “Palmer is doing well in rehab, still a chance he could be back for OTAs.” Palmer himself told ESPN’s Ed Werder that he is: “Feeling great three months post surgery,” and the Cardinals’ starting quarterback “expects to be involved in mini camp, training camp.”

It is much too early to know for sure when Palmer will be ready to suit up with his teammates, but statements like the ones above certainly paint a positive picture.

Assuming Palmer is ready to go at the start of the season, the Cardinals have a nice core group of players to lead them into 2015. That being said, like with any team, there are holes to fill.

While it would take a little bit of salary cap maneuvering (restructuring Larry Fitzgerald’s contract was a great start), the Cardinals could be fairly active in free agency. However, it is expected that the bulk of their improvements will have to come from the draft.

In the 2015 NFL Draft the Cardinals have all seven of their own picks. They have the 24th pick in the first round, and flip between the 22nd, 23rd and 24th picks in the rounds following. They are also expected to receive a compensatory pick. Overthecap.com projects it to be a seventh round comp pick for losing cornerback Antoine Cason to the Baltimore Ravens last season, but they also state that the pick could end up being a fifth-round pick for losing wide receiver Andre Roberts to the Washington Redskins instead.

The Cardinals’ most pressing needs appear to be on the defensive side of the ball. Finding an impact pass rusher, and an athletic option at inside linebacker is seemingly a must. More depth along the defensive line would be great as well. Offensively, interior offensive line and running back stick out as the team’s biggest needs.

It will be very interesting to see how the Cardinals handle the upcoming draft. They have specific needs, but selecting the best available player is always a great option for a team with an already solid core of players.

So, which player should the Cardinals take in each round of the 2015 NFL Draft?

Next: Round 1, Pick 24

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