The Arizona Cardinals are preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft after a very disappointing season. Once star quarterback Kyler Murray went down with a torn ACL in Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season, the campaign was essentially over.
It was Kliff Kingsbury’s final year at Arizona as head coach, as the Cardinals fired him after the season. The Cardinals have tapped Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to be their new head coach, and he’s hoping for a much more successful tenure than his predecessor.
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With the 2023 NFL Draft fast approaching, the Cardinals have many roster needs to help them become a championship contender. Offensively, names like Murray, DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Rondale Moore, Zach Ertz and James Conner form a formidable unit. On the other side of the ball, the Cardinals need a lot more help.
The Cardinals will be without JJ Watt this year, but still have some solid names on defense. Budda Baker and Isaiah Simmons are both successful draft picks for the Cardinals and anchor this side of the ball. Still, the unit as a whole was abysmal last season, and they desperately need improvements in the talent department.
That means the 2023 NFL Draft is as big a draft as the Cardinals have ever had. While they have to do their due diligence on all of their picks, they also have to make sure they don’t pick up bad players. So who are the players the Cardinals should avoid in the draft?
Here are two players in particular the Cardinals need to pass on in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Byron Young, DT, Alabama
Byron Young is a towering 6’3, 294-pound defensive tackle from the Alabama Crimson Tide who expects to be an early-round draft pick. He could immediately fill an interior defensive line role sought by the Cardinals. However, his performance at the NFL Combine indicates that he is not the player he plans to be. The cardinals should pass.
Young was slower than expected at the combine, both in his smooth lateral movements and in his immediate speed. Other defensive tackles like Calijah Kancey showed much better speed at the position.
Speed wasn’t a big deal for Young at Alabama, as he had the ability to beat the defenders he faced. That won’t be the case in the NFL, and it will be interesting to see if Young can develop the movement and motions to get into the backfield without just using brute force.
Cardinals should not have the patience to see this materialize. They definitely need to upgrade on the defensive line, but considering options other than Young is better thought.
Mike Morris, DE, Michigan
Mike Morris had an incredible junior season at Michigan. He was named the 2022 Big Ten Conference Defensive Lineman of the Year, appearing in 12 games with 11 starts. During the season, Morris had 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 23 saves, three pass breakups, one blocked kick and one forced fumble. Coming out of the Big Ten, Morris is a prospect who could produce right away. However, the Cardinals aren’t expected to spend any of their eight picks on the former Wolverine following his performance in the NFL Combine.
Morris ran a 4.95 40-yard sprint, a far cry from the speed elite defenses possess in the NFL today. His 28.5-inch vertical leap and 22 reps in the bench press left a lot to be desired. His numbers during the year might have stood out on paper, but those on the combine tell a different story.
Along with combine performance, questions about the Morris engine have been raised in the past. Scouts believe he needs to bring a more consistent intensity to his game, which could offset the seemingly less than ideal athleticism he brings to the NFL. In the Cardinals defense, he would play opposite Simmons, and Arizona needs someone to free up to rush for their star outside linebacker.
If Morris doesn’t have the athleticism to routinely dissipate the NFL offensive lineman, his energy can’t be questioned. He is said to be teammates with Baker, who has been the subject of several viral clips where he is the voice of intense pep talks with his teammates. There’s no doubt that Baker only wants high-intensity players.
Morris might end up producing numbers like he did in Michigan, but the Cardinals can’t afford question marks. They should think twice if Mike Morris is on their scoreboard.
