Arizona Cardinals hosting Lane Johnson

The Arizona Cardinals are hosting a big two-day visitor today and tomorrow, as Oklahoma Sooners standout left tackle Lane Johnson is set to visit the Cardinals on Monday and Tuesday. The news was reported by top Cardinals beat writer Kent Somers, who states that Johnson will have dinner tonight with top Cardinals executives, Steve Keim, and head coach Bruce Arians.

Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals were once thought to be in the prime position to take Central Michigan star Eric Fisher off of the board, but they might not even be able to take Lane Johnson (the third best tackle in the 2013 NFL Draft behind Luke Joeckel and Fisher) with the seventh pick in the draft. Many teams want an offensive tackle in this draft, and Johnson has mouth-watering athleticism that has seen him vault into the top ten in most mock drafts.

Johnson is a sure-fire top ten pick now, because teams like the Miami Dolphins would be more than willing to trade up to land him. He could even be taken off the board by the Detroit Lions with the fifth pick if the Eagles take Fisher at four. Anything can happen at OT, and that’s clearly the Cardinals biggest position of need. They have the worst tackles in the league, and the amount of pressure they give up is dreadful (they are also prone to giving up quick pressure).

So are the Cardinals willing to trade up to take a tackle and not risk them all being off the board before the seventh pick? That might be an impulsive decision, but it might also be the safest decision. It’s a decision that would likely be justified from the Cardinals perspective, because they could really use a tackle. It’s incredible to think, though, that three tackles could be taken off the board in the top five, but that’s just a testament to how important the position as become in this league.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter for more NFL updates and analysis @SorianoJoe.