Arizona Cardinals' 2012 Mock Draft: Buy or Sell Matt Miller's Latest Picks?

The NFL’s Scouting Combine is nearing an end, and B/R NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller has written his latest Mock Draft.

Some prospects have proven themselves worthy of a high selection; others performed so poorly that a few teams have dropped them off their draft boards completely.

I have been watching the Combine, Draft and subsequent rookie seasons of prospects since I was a kid listening to 80s retro music (it was an awkward time for me), and I've learned that game film and interviews are more important than how fast Prospect A ran his 40-yard dash.

During the following slides, I will highlight the picks Mr. Miller has suggested for the Cardinals and critique them with either a “buy” or “sell” followed by my explanation.

Round 1, Pick 13

Riley Reiff, Offensive Tackle, Iowa

Sell

The Cardinals have ditched the idea of drafting needs in the early rounds of the draft.

Reiff is likely to be a solid tackle with a long NFL career, but Arizona may have solved their tackle problem through free agency by the time the draft is upon us.

They are anticipated to take the best player available with the No. 13 pick. Based on the prospects still available to Arizona according to Mr. Miller’s mock, here is a better choice for the Cardinals:

Melvin Ingram, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, South Carolina

Those who pay attention to my writing know that I have an unnatural and disturbing man-crush on Ingram, and here’s why: Versatility.

Ingram has played every position on South Carolina’s front seven at different times throughout his career. He is big (6’1”, 264 lbs), strong (28 reps of 225 lbs) and moves exceptionally well for his size (4.79 40-yard dash).

The 40 is not eye-popping, but his 20-yard shuttle time of 4.18 is.

He will be more than just a pass-rusher in the NFL; he can be an every-down linebacker in the right system.

The Arizona Cardinals have that system.

Round 3, Pick 82

Bruce Irvin, Outside Linebacker, West Virginia

Buy

If Arizona does take Ingram with their first pick, there would be no need for this pick. It would, however, provide the Cardinals with two more of the best young pass-rushing talents in the game.

Irvin is a good athlete and an even better person. His past behind him, he has made it his mission to restore the name on the back of his jersey, and he did just that while at West Virginia.

From a scheme standpoint, Arizona would use Irvin at outside linebacker opposite Sam Acho—who collected seven sacks in just 10 starts during his rookie campaign.

Let’s pretend they do take both Ingram and Irvin.

The best scenario to make that work properly would be to move Ingram to weak-side middle linebacker—right next to Daryl Washington. He has the size and power to be the enforcer they need in the middle of the corps and the versatility to move elsewhere in defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s tricky scheme.

Curb your enthusiasm, Cards fans; these picks are not in—yet.

Round 4, Pick 113

Marcus Forston, Defensive Tackle, Miami (FL)

Buy

Though Arizona has taken a nose tackle in each of the past two drafts—including Dan Williams in the first round in 2010—this pick makes a lot of sense.

There is no guarantee last year’s sixth-round pick, David Carter, will pan out to become anything more than depth on the roster. He filled in admirably for Williams after the former first rounder broke his arm midway through the year, but he lacks the big-time run-stuffing ability the Cardinals are looking for in the position.

Forston is an animal at stuffing the run. He’s 6’1” and weighs 301 pounds, and he has room to get bigger. That will make him even better in run support at the next level.

He missed a lot of time in college due to various injuries, so there is a bit of a risk with this pick. However, if Forston is able to remain healthy, he can develop into a monster.

Round 5, Pick 144

Ryan Broyles, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma

Buy

Arizona needs playmakers within their receiving corps. Other than Larry Fitzgerald, there is no true threat as of now. By draft day they may have signed a receiver—or two—to help in the passing game, but this pick would be among the best late-round selections of the draft should they be lucky enough to get him.

Despite missing the majority of the 2011 season with a torn ACL, Broyles is the NCAA’s all-time leading pass-catcher.

According to the draft analysis put together by NFL.com, Broyles was a second-round talent before his injury. He did not run at the combine or do any pass-catching of any kind. In fact, the only thing he did do was tear it up on the bench press. He was among the leaders at his position in pressing the standard 225 lb weight, completing an impressive 21 repetitions.

That strength was evident all throughout his career at Oklahoma, and it’s one of the reasons he was able to catch more passes than anyone in major college history.

Round 6, Pick 175

Duke Ihenacho, Strong Safety, San Jose State

Buy

A replacement is going to be needed for Adrian Wilson at some point in the future. The captain of the Cardinals defense is 32 years old and not getting any younger. He quietly had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2011, but as he ages, questions will be raised if he starts showing signs of decline.

It may be good for Arizona to have an insurance policy in its back pocket the day Wilson is unable to perform at the high level to which we all have grown accustomed.

Ihenacho (pronounced EE-ah-nacho) plays the safety position the way Wilson does—close to the line of scrimmage ready to punish ball carriers.

And he does that with little effort. Ihenacho—though only 6’0” and 213 pounds—plays much like Wilson but struggles in coverage. With work on the practice squad (hypothetically) and coaching from Horton and crew, he could develop into an option for AW’s replacement a few years from now.

Round 7, Pick 206

Tank Carder, Outside Linebacker, TCU

Sell

This sell is not a knock on Carder as a player. He did a lot of things well while at TCU; it’s more about what is still available and what he would mean to the future of the franchise compared to the player you’re about to meet.

So without further delay:

Levy Adcock, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma State

This young man was not invited to the Scouting Combine for one reason or another. What a huge miss.

It may be because of the injury he suffered that kept him out of the Senior Bowl, or it may be because NFL scouts are not as good at what they do as some think.

Whatever the reason, Adcock played very well in college. So well, in fact, that he was honored with being named to the All-Big-12 First Team in 2011. He’s big, standing 6’6” and weighing 322 pounds. He’s not as agile as one would like a potential starting NFL tackle to be.

However, he is good in the run-game, opening up massive holes at times. Even in the Fiesta Bowl against Stanford he was able to provide ample running room for his running backs.