Arizona Cardinals 2013 NFL Draft Wishlist

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The Arizona Cardinals have changed the face of their team over the past few years mostly by way of the draft.

Patrick Peterson, Sam Acho, Dan Williams and Daryl Washington are among the players that they have brought in over the past three drafts.

With only a few holes to fill to get back in the playoff race, the Cardinals are hoping for another successful three days come the end of April.

Arizona, like most teams, will be faced with challenges heading into draft day. The player they want may not be on the board, and they will go in with multiple backup plans.

With that said, they are in a position to land a couple of great players.

Highlighted over the next few slides is a wish list for the Cardinals heading into the 2013 NFL draft.

Quarterback

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As many of you know, the quarterback position is one of the Cardinals biggest needs heading into the offseason. In a perfect world Arizona would be able to land a huge name in free agency or have a stud prospect fall to them at pick No. 7.

This year, however, players like Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are not available.

The 2013 quarterback class is weak. In fact any signal caller taken in the top 10 should be considered a reach.

With that in mind, the Cardinals offseason wish at the quarterback position is that Tyler Wilson falls to them in the second round.

A senior at Arkansas, Wilson has been in the first round of many mock drafts and some have even had Arizona selecting him with the seventh pick.

This team has several other needs to address, however, and there will be too many talented players to pass up on day one.

Now that Arizona has an offensive minded coach, it is tough to see them passing on a player like Wilson in round two.

Running Back

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Over the past two seasons, the Arizona Cardinals have gone into the year with the potential to have a great running game.

A couple injuries and some poor play have resulted in almost the exact opposite of that.

2012 was an ugly year running the football. As a team, Arizona combined for just 1,204 yards, 10 touchdowns and 3.4 yards per carry.

Fans and personnel alike are getting sick of play like this. One of the Cards' biggest wishes is to get some stability at the running back position.

It does not really matter where it comes from; they just need someone that can carry the ball effectively 10-20 times a game without getting injured.

Looking at the draft, their best bet would be Alabama’s Eddy Lacy. The junior has climbed up many draft boards after an impressive performance against Notre Dame in the BCS bowl.

Being able to land Lacy in the second or even the third round would be great for the Cardinals, as they are in need of both quality and depth.

Offensive Line

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With Levi Brown returning from injury and the majority of the line playing well down the stretch, the Cardinals will have many options heading into free agency and the draft.

There are a lot of different scenarios that could occur, but there are two that would be great for the team both now and in the future.

Arizona’s first wish is in regards to Luke Joeckel. With Eric Fisher’s stock on the rise, Joeckel could fall to the Cards at No. 7 overall.

The Texas A&M left tackle would be an immediate upgrade and is considered by some as the best player in the draft.

Their second wish is that they can find a team to trade down with. Receiving a first-round pick in 2014 or an additional second rounder this year to move back a few spots would be ideal. This would put them in a position to pick up someone like Chance Warmack.

Either way, the Cardinals are winning. These two scenarios would land them a stud offensive lineman and potentially an extra draft choice.

Defense

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Arizona has had some success when it comes to drafting defensively as of late. Looking past the odd bust here and there (a la Cody Brown), they have brought in some solid players.

Calais Campbell and Daryl Washington were both second-round picks, while O’Brien Schofield, Sam Acho and Greg Toler were all selected in the fourth.

With a few aging players and a couple of contracts they should look to get rid of, the Cardinals will have to add some depth to their defense.

Their wish is to find a couple of players in the mid-late rounds that can turn out to be great contributors.

Addressing the offense early on and adding some quality depth to their defense on day two and three would be ideal for Arizona.