2020 NFL Mock Draft: Unexpected first-round pick for each team

Don’t look now, but the Arizona Cardinals are all of a sudden talented enough to make the leap to surprise contender in the NFC thanks to a key trade with the Houston Texans that resulted in DeAndre Hopkins coming on board.

Prior to the trade, the Cardinals appeared to be a likely candidate to consider a wide receiver this early in the first round, and this could still very well end up being the case since Larry Fitzgerald isn’t getting any younger.

Since Hopkins is one of the best receivers in the NFL for a reason, Arizona can afford to focus on another position in the first round, with defensive end or offensive lineman immediately coming to mind.

But also, as stacked as the offense for the Cardinals looks at the moment, the defense will still need to play at a high level if Arizona truly wants to live up to the playoff hype.

Cornerback is one of the positions the Cardinals could end up addressing early on in the draft, and even though C.J. Henderson has seen his name in the first round for most mock drafts, the Florida standout going in the top 10 would be a different story.

No. 8 may seem high for someone like Henderson, and his tackling skills still appear to be an issue, but also this could be well worth the risk for Arizona.