Cardinals GM Won't Rule Out Drafting WR at No. 8 After DeAndre Hopkins Trade

The Arizona Cardinals have a stacked wide receiver group with newly acquired DeAndre Hopkins, Christian Kirk and NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald.

But as general manager Steve Keim told Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com, the team hasn't ruled out selecting a wide receiver in the first round if the right player is available:

"You want to look at the long-term contracts you have in place, whether guys can play inside or outside. If there is a player at the right spot, someone we are high on, we will certainly take advantage of that. I say this every year, your needs are always changing. Just because it seems on the surface we're not as needy at wide receiver, that could change pretty quickly."

The Cardinals hold the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft, and much of the buzz around the team has them focusing on the offense or defensive line. As B/R's Matt Miller wrote on April 3, "It looks like offensive tackle is the favorite position among analysts, but team insiders believe the Cardinals have eyes for Auburn defensive tackle Derrick Brown in the first round."

In his April 7 mock, meanwhile, NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah projected Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills to land in Arizona.

But consider the following note from Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer this week:

"It's a relationship business, and there are rumblings that Kyler Murray has given the Arizona brass a glowing review of his former teammate Lamb. Would the Cardinals take one, given that they have DeAndre Hopkins, Larry Fitzgerald, and Christian Kirk on their roster, and drafted three of them last year? I'm skeptical, particularly with how nicely a big-time right tackle like Wills would fit the bill. But it's worth keeping an eye on anyway."

Now, it's possible that any buzz about the Cardinals considering a wide receiver is simply posturing in an effort to get receiver-needy teams to inquire about that No. 8 pick.

Teams that could consider moving up to that spot to fill a major need include the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles, among others. 

But Fitzgerald could be done after 2020, given that he'll be 37 by the time the season starts. Drafting a player like Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb to eventually replace him could make sense, giving Arizona a dynamic trio alongside Hopkins and Kirk for years to come. It's a good position to be in, leaving the Cardinals with plenty of options once they're on the board.