Arizona Cardinals: 7-Round 2020 mock draft keeps rebuild on track

Since whiffing on Robert Nkemdiche, the Arizona Cardinals have been searching for answers on the defensive front. Spoiler alert: Outside of Chandler Jones, they haven’t found any. They need a player who can be a game-changer in the trenches and Ross Blacklock has that type of potential.

When you see him at 6-4, 305 pounds, you might think that Blacklock would have to slot in as a 1-tech. However, that’s not the case. He’s as diverse of an interior defensive line prospect as you’ll fine thanks to an enticing blend of physical tool. Blacklock has the explosiveness, strength and length to be a matchup nightmare for opposing offensive lines.

Blacklock is not a polished prospect coming out of TCU but his upside is immense. With a solid infrastructure being put into place in Arizona, they have to feel confident in developing him and tapping into his potential as a dominant physical force.

To this point, the Cardinals haven’t totally gotten what they would like to have out of Haason Reddick, despite deploying him in multiple roles. Regardless of Reddick, however, this team needs to fill a glaring hole in the middle of the defense at linebacker. They need a tone-setter that’s capable of shoring up the run defense and also helping to captain the defense on the whole.

Ohio State’s Malik Harrison seems to fit the bill of a player capable of doing that for Arizona. A big man at the position at 6-3, 246 pounds, Harrison moves quite well considering what he has to haul around. He’s impressive at covering space and getting off when asked to blitz. While his coverage ability is average at best right now, he can be solid in that area, making him a potential Day 1 starter for Kingsbury’s club.