Arizona Cardinals get Kyler Murray help he needs in 7-round 2020 mock draft

As mentioned, linebacker is an area of concern for the Cardinals defense moving forward. While I was optimistic about Hicks’ arrival and though he was the best at the position on the roster in the 2019 season, he had a rough year by his standards. But to make things worse, Walker and Reddick were below Hicks’s standard and neither player offered much help when asked to drop into coverage.

Akeem Davis-Gaither is a small-school prospect from Appalachian State but don’t let the uniform on tape fool you — the linebacker can play. He has one of the most important traits for a modern-day NFL linebacker in his ability to hang with anyone in coverage with great instincts and athleticism. The latter also makes him a weapon when brought down to blitz.

Of course, with Davis-Gaither being available in the third round, he’s not a perfect prospect. His ability to stand up against the run is in question as he had a slight frame. It’s obvious that the App State product won’t be stuffing gaps anytime soon and also that his size hinders his tackling ability at times. His aggressive style also forces him to overrun the play at times.

While he’s not perfect, the way that the linebacker is able to cover both tight ends and running backs makes him a valuable commodity as a draft prospect. With the way that the corp for Arizona has performed to this point in that regard, the third-round pick would give that group a major jolt in helping to defend opposing passing attacks.

Other Players Available: Malik Harrison, Justin Madubuike, Jonah Jackson