Arizona Cardinals: Realistic Predictions for the 2012 Rookie Class

Despite not having a second-round pick, the Arizona Cardinals did a solid job, on paper, of adding talent and addressing need.

While not every single pick went the way some of us would have liked, Arizona has added players that will make an impact both right now and a few years down the road.

The Cardinals are a very talented team, and some of their drafts picks will probably not see the field much this season. That, however, does not mean that they can’t make an impact.

We have now had the opportunity to see the drafted players in both rookie camps and OTAs, so it is time to make predictions on how each individual will fare in 2012.

Michael Floyd

“With the 13th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals select... Michael Floyd, wide receiver, Notre Dame.” These words put a smile on the face of many Cardinals fans around the world who tuned in to watch the biggest event of the offseason.

Coach Whisenhunt is not a fan of starting rookies in Week 1, but the skill set that Michael Floyd has will be hard to ignore.

He will benefit greatly from playing opposite Larry Fitzgerald and could very well have a shot at Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Jamell Fleming

Arizona may have gone a little overboard when it comes to the amount of corners they picked up. After signing William Gay, the Cardinals would later draft Jamell Fleming out of Oklahoma.

In addition, they will also have Greg Toler returning from injury, along with last year’s starters, Patrick Peterson and A.J. Jefferson. This leaves them with at least five guys competing for a starting job.

Given this, Fleming will not be starting, but as he gets comfortable in system, he will get more and more playing time.

Nothing spectacular will happen this season, but I would look for him to record either his first sack or first interception as a pro.

Bobby Massie

Arguably the most interesting preseason position battle will be between the veteran, Jeremy Bridges, and the rookie, Bobby Massie.

Massie was a huge steal for Arizona in the fourth round, as he was projected to go two rounds earlier. As we see when the season commences, this pick was much better than reaching on a tackle early on.

He will start on the right side for the Cardinals, and he will be a part of the All-Rookie team in 2012.

Senio Kelemete

The second of three offensive linemen selected by the Cardinals, Senio Kelemete out of Washington is a pretty decent depth pickup.

Kelemete was listed as a tackle coming out of college, but will more than likely be converted into a guard at the NFL level.

As a fifth-round pick, he will have at least a year or two to become comfortable with the speed of the NFL. He has some solid upside, but will not see the field unless Daryn Colledge is injured.

Justin Bethel

Most Cardinals fans that were still following the draft at this point were stunned that they took another corner. That is, until they found out that he could play safety.

Justin Bethel from Presbyterian was probably not going to stand a chance against some of the other corners, so it is expected that he will make the transition to safety.

When healthy, Adrian Wilson and Kerry Rhodes form one of the best safety duos in football. However, Rhodes was plagued by injuries in 2011, which allowed Rashad Johnson to see a lot of playing time.

If Rhodes goes down again, Bethel will see some action behind Rashad Johnson, but will not be on the field much if Wilson and Rhodes are able to remain healthy.

Ryan Lindley

This was the one pick out of the whole draft that I really didn’t like. The pick is understandable... if Kolb turns out to be a bust or gets injured again, Arizona would prefer to have someone backing up John Skelton.

The problem with that is there were still several players on the board that would have been better picks (i.e. Emmanuel Acho, Marvin McNutt and Billy Winn).

Lindley may not even make the team in 2012, and if he does it will be as third string. The right decision would have been to pick one of the players mentioned above and then sign either Kellen Moore or Darron Thomas—who both went undrafted.

Nate Potter

Despite not being taken until the 221st pick of the draft (seventh round), Nate Potter out of Boise State could develop into a starter down the road.

Arizona added multiple players to the offensive line this year, and Potter will have to battle just to earn a roster spot.

If there is one advantage that he has, it is that he can play both tackle and guard if needed. With the amount of injuries that occur around the league, it is good to have multiple players like this on a roster.

Nate Potter will be a member of the Arizona Cardinals in 2012, but he will not play past the preseason unless there are multiple injuries sustained.