Arizona Cardinals' Mock Draft: A Complete 7-Round Wish List

The 2013 NFL draft is right around the corner. Well, not really, but there are plenty of Arizona Cardinals fans looking forward to it.

This time last year Arizona still had a shot at the playoffs, and right now most NFL fans would laugh at the thought of this team in the postseason.

With that said, the Cardinals have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and they are a good offseason away from being a contender.

Fortunately for the Cards, there are some solid players available at their positions of need. This bodes well for them as they have had to face the drafting needs versus best available in years past.

This is a big draft for Arizona. Although it is still months away, it is never too early to look at who they should target.

Highlighted over the next few slides is a seven-round wish list for the Cardinals this April.

Round 1: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame

By beating the Detroit Lions last weekend, Arizona removed themselves from the Luke Joeckel race. He is a can’t-miss prospect that the Cardinals must draft if he is still on the board.

With Joeckel out of the picture, targeting an offensive tackle is not a must. One of the common misconceptions about this team is that they are in dire need of a tackle.

Both Bobby Massie and Nate Potter have played well as of late, and Levi Brown will also be returning from injury.

Their second target should be Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o. The Heisman finalist has been great for the Irish over the past couple of seasons and would look even better beside Daryl Washington.

Paris Lenon has been a bit of a liability for the defense this year, and Te’o would be an immediate upgrade.

Washington and Te’o is a combination that will be feared by many. This is a move that will launch the Cardinals defense to elite status.

Round 2: Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama

When you look at the guys that Russ Grimm has brought in over the years, the trend is that most of them have the ability to play more than one position on the line. Adam Snyder and Senio Kelemete are the most recent examples.

One man who fits this mold perfectly in the draft is Alabama lineman Barrett Jones, who has played guard, tackle and center for the Crimson Tide.

With an upgrade needed at right guard, this pick makes a lot of sense. Jones would replace Snyder right away and the offensive line would be looking a whole lot better.

This pickup would allow Grimm to do a lot of shuffling, and an injury would not be the end of the world like it was this year.

Jones is a great pick for the Cardinals in the second round.

Round 3: Eddy Lacy, RB, Alabama

Arizona has not had much luck with running backs over the past couple of years. Ryan Williams has had season-ending injuries in each of his first two seasons and Beanie Wells is the definition of injured.

This team cannot go another year hoping for their players to stay healthy. They need someone who can have 10-15 touches a game and avoid injury.

The player that the Cardinals need to target is Eddy Lacy, who recently announced that he will enter the draft this year.

Lacy has averaged more than six yards per carry at Alabama this season and also has 16 rushing touchdowns.

If he is not on the board, then Le’Veon Bell is a solid Plan B.

Round 4: William Gholston, DE, Michigan State

Last year we saw Jerel Worthy get drafted by Green Bay in the second round. This year, however, it looks like a Michigan State defensive lineman could slide all the way to Day 3 of the draft.

William Gholston was a key member of the Spartans defense, and although defensive end is not a position of need, he would be a solid pick for Arizona in Round 4.

The 21-year-old would make an immediate impact for the Cardinals in a rotation role.

Gholston has similar measurables to that of Calais Campbell at 6'7", 278 pounds. Seeing these two monsters come at you would be a scary sight.

Round 5: Jake Stoneburner, TE, Ohio State

After signing Todd Heap and Jeff King as well as drafting Rob Housler, the Cardinals finally thought they had solved their problem at the tight end position.

That was until Heap missed 16 games over the course of a one-and-a-half seasons. He started in just five games, caught 32 passes and had one touchdown.

Housler has quietly had a good year and has developed into a solid tight end, but they could use some depth behind him.

Insert Jake Stoneburner. The Ohio State senior stands 6'5" and weighs in at 245 pounds. He has 13 touchdowns in his four-year college career and has some pro-level potential.

The Cardinals are just adding to the grocery list of offensive weapons they have at this point.

Round 6: Bruce Taylor, LB, Virginia Tech

You are probably wondering why Arizona should take Bruce Taylor when they already took Manti Te’o in the first round. The answer is simple: depth.

Paris Lenon is a free agent at the end of the year and Stewart Bradley should be cut. He has a $5 million base salary next year and a $5.5 million base in both 2014 and 2015.

As a sixth-round draft choice, Taylor will not get much playing time in his first year. They would be much better off with him than Bradley, though.

The Cardinals will have a whole new look at the middle linebacker spot in 2013. Lenon and Bradley will be replaced by Bruce Taylor and Manti Te’o.

Round 7: Jordan Kovacs, SS, Michigan

Even with Denard Robinson and Taylor Lewan on the opposite side of the ball, strong safety Jordan Kovacs took home the Michigan Wolverines MVP award.

He is currently ranked as a borderline draft choice and could go undrafted, but this is not a chance that the Cardinals should take.

They need somebody to replace Adrian Wilson in a couple of seasons, and they could be able to steal that guy in the seventh round of this year’s draft.

Kovacs was the captain of the Wolverine defense this year and coming to Arizona would allow him to develop under one of the better safeties in the game.

He is a smart and talented player that the Cards should not pass up.