2011 NFL Draft; Arizona Cardinals

I feel sorry for Cardinals fans.

Ok I'm lying, I don't. But if I wasn't a 49ers fan then I would feel sorry for Cardinals fans. From the big game in 2009 to the big slump in 2011. Last year the Cardinals sucked and to this day the only person who has the slightest idea how the Cardinals managed to win any games - let alone five of them - is God. And he ain't telling anyone.

The biggest issue was of course, Quarterback. After the giddy heights of Kurt Warner the Cardinals sank to the low ebb of Derek Anderson, a quarterback so bad even the Browns didn't want him. What they needed then was a half decent draft. It didn't even have to be the greatest in the world, just a pretty good draft to put them back on the road to success.

Picking up a new young QB was a desirable option. Arizona already had Max Hall, John Skelton and Richard Bartel, but none of those names really blows you away as an amazing young prospect. I saw more than a few comments around the interwebs from Cardinals fans hoping that their team would draft Ryan Mallett or Christian Ponder or etc. One nutjob even wanted them to get Cam Newton if he was still available.

As it turned out they were all to be sorely disappointed but at the same time elated, as their team used its number one pick (fifth overall) to select Patrick Peterson, cornerback, LSU.

I say they were elated because Peterson was hailed as the number one corner overall in the draft, so naturally that's a good thing. Except that personally I don't think Peterson is anything to write home about. He's ok, might even find a use as a nickel corner. Maybe make that a dime corner.

But as a first rounder? And the first corner taken off the board at that? No freaking way. I spent about five minutes watching the LSU Defense and thinking to myself "kid is ok, not bad", before I realised I was watching the wrong corner. Then I went back & watched through it again, and by the same point I was thinking "what the hell is so special about this kid?"

I just can't see anything that to me makes him a standout. He really isn't all that great. As a punt/kick returner, then yeah, I can definitely see the appeal. But as a pure corner I thought he was barely average. He often played too far off the man, close to what I would call "Sherman Loose". Sometimes that worked in his favour, as he was so far over the top of his man that an overthrown ball would provide the opportunity for an interception.

But really, is that how we're rating corners now? Because they occasionally have a pick thrown into their lap? I certainly saw nothing approaching what I would call NFL starting level play from a corner. I don't know where the Peterson hype came from, maybe the combine (where he did well), but surely not off the game tape? Or if it is then, shit, I got really unlucky multiple times with the games I saw.

But who knows? Everyone else seems to be creaming their pants over Peterson and hailing him as this pro bowl ready prospect who's going to excel at the next level, so I accept that I'm absolutely in the minority over this one. I just don't see it myself. I think he's going to be a flag drawing bust.

Onto round two and with the 38th pick overall the Cardinals took Ryan Williams, running back, Virginia Tech.

I like Williams. His vision is a bit so-so, but his power is really good and he plays with his pads down, running behind them not under them. In that sense he's quite like his fellow Arizona RB Chris "Beanie" Wells. Maybe Ken Whisenhunt is looking to build a power running game for the season ahead? Williams would fit that mold certainly. But don't be all consumed by the power side. When he hits the open field and has the room to get his legs going, Williams can really fire up the jets and move.

As indeed we will move - to round three - and with the 69th pick overall the Cardinals selected tight end Rob Housler, from Florida Atlantic.

Now the Cardinals could be in a tight spot regarding tight ends this year, as most of theirs are heading out the door into the occasionally lucrative world of free agency. So they needed someone like Housler. I just think they could have done better than Housler.

But it is what it is, and what it is, is (confused yet) an overall ok tight end. Hands are not bad. Route running is ok, if lacking a little in polish, especially at the "top" of the route. Housler's run blocking is a strong point and when taken in the light of the Williams pick, the lack of a decent QB and Coach Whisenhunts background with the Steelers, this might be part of a run-first grand master plan that is brewing in Arizona.

I know, I'm not convinced either.

In round four the Cardinals went with defensive end Sam Acho from Texas (Longhorns). In the NFL he'll likely play as a pass rushing outside linebacker and honestly I'm of two minds about Acho. What I've seen of him suggests to me that he will be nothing special. In fact, I suspect he'll be nothing more than a blip. But... one thing that has crossed my mind is that Acho seemed to be building himself up over time, getting better and better statistically as the seasons went by. Maybe Acho is just getting ready to break onto the big scene?

C'mon Cardinals fans, I'm trying to find the positives, I really am! Acho's gonna suck though. I'm sorry. I don't see it.

Round five saw the Cardinals dip into the running back pool again (more on this later) as they took Anthony Sherman, fullback from Connecticut. Sherman did well at the combine and certainly impressed me in the on field drills. On tape though? Ehhhh.... ok I'm just gonna come out and say it. A Fullbacks main job is, you know, lead blocking. Sherman's blocking sucks. He commonly comes charging in with his pads too high and just gets stood by the defender and driven back out of the hole. That's not good.

What the Sherman pick does help us with is to pretty much nod sagely and predict that the Cardinals are going to run the ball a lot more in 2011. Like, A LOT more. Still though, I'm not finished on this point which we'll pick up at the end.

Onto round six where the Cardinals had two picks. The first was Quan Sturdivant, inside linebacker from North Carolina.

Sturdivant is pretty strong which is obviously a useful trait for a linebacker. He sees stuff happening early and reacts quickly, showing good instincts against both the run and the pass. His coverage skills are good which is handy for a linebacker who will probably find himself dropping off to cover tight ends etc if he gets onto the field. His run defense needs a bit of work still, as he occasionally seems to come down quickly into a blob of players and then disappears beneath the ensuing pile. For where he was taken, not a bad pick.

The second of Arizona's sixth rounders was defensive end David Carter. I didn't get to see Carter prior to the draft but have since had a sit down with a nice big mug of coffee to watch him play, mainly as a defensive tackle. There are three things that I learnt during this moving picture adventure;

1) That Carter is incapable of tucking his shirt(s) in,
2) That he gets blocked very easily and lacks anything that might be discernable as technique or strength,
3) That Tesco value coffee is fucking horrible,

Though to be fair, I should have realised number 3 when I bought the stuff. They don't call it "value" coffee just for laughs. I was surprised about Carter though. My normal assumption about a player who I haven't yet seen is that if that some team picked him then he must have something of value to bring to the party, and must at least have something that made him appear better than the hundred or so legitimate prospects who were drafted after him or went undrafted.

I really, really - not in a million years - cant understand what in the hell anybody in the Cardinals organisation saw in Carter. All I saw was a guy who got stood up and turned sideways every time the ball was snapped. I mean he looked truly awful and how a team with legitimate needs, at quarterback and offensive line among other things, could blow a valuable pick on such a player is just beyond comprehension. It makes no sense.

Finally the Cardinals used their seventh round compensatory selection to take wide receiver DeMarco Sampson, from San Diego State. And perhaps mercifully after seeing their other picks, I cannot get a damn scrap on this kid, so maybe he's another Larry Fitzgerald in the making and he'll team up with the actual Larry Fitzgerald and thus save the Cardinals season.

Of course, that's being optimistic. Just slightly.

So what did I think of the Cardinals draft overall? I thought it sucked. I thought it sucked hard. And I'm left asking myself one simple question; how in the hell did people not rate that as a worse draft than the Seahawks?

Even if, unlike me, you didn't like the Seahawks draft, you still have to admit that this Cardinals draft was a pile of ass. It just.... sucks!

My main complaint is two fold. Number one, they didn't draft a quarterback. They had the opportunity to have the pick of the litter (excluding Newton) in the first round. Now even if they say they don't like any of those guys, what about Ryan Mallett who slid all the way to the Patriots in the third? Surely the Cardinals didn't hate him that much that they looked at him in the second and said "nope, not for us". Man alive.

My second complaint centers around the O-line. Or specifically the fact that the Cardinals wont have one in 2011 at this rate. They only have five O-linemen signed, none of whom is a legit center. Either the Cardinals are banking on bringing back a lot of guys, or they just feel really good about the free agent market. That's a hell of a risky hand to be playing.

I also don't get it in light of the investment in another running back and a fullback. Why, why in the name of God would you invest two picks in yet another running back when you already have three legitimate backs on your roster and have no O-line? Hell, you can go out and pick up a cheap back or two in free agency who can give you some service in a way that cheap O-line free agents generally can't. You even have one running back and two fullbacks as restricted free agents who aren't unlikely to go anywhere.

It makes no sense. None. Of all the players they could have picked, another running back and another fullback were just about their two least pressing needs. What about defensive tackle? I mean seriously, is David Carter the answer? You've got to be kidding me. What about the secondary? What about finding a decent young pass rusher?

This draft class sucks. It is absolutely hideous. From what I can recall just about the only draft that I hated worse than this was the Titans 2011 class. I remember the Raiders being pretty bad too. All I know is this, if I was handing out lettered grades this 2011 Cardinals class would get an "F" for "Fuck you Arizona for making our division look bad again, just as we were recovering a bit of Kudos".

I hate the Cardinals.

2011 NFL Draft: Cornerbacks

Right, finally, eventually, better late than never, here's my take on some of the Corner Back class for the 2011 draft. In no particular order:

- Patrick Peterson. As a punt/kick return man, I'm very impressed. As a corner? I just get the feeling we're going to be hearing a lot of "Pass interference, Defense, number...". Not a bad corner, but I'm really struggling to find where the justification as a first round pick comes from? Compare to Chiefs Safety Eric Berry from last years draft, who was head and shoulders above the other safeties and clearly stood out as a first round pick. I don't think Peterson is on that level.

- Prince Amukamara. Lacking a little in strength, but not afraid to get stuck in. Play recognition is pretty good and he he's pretty quick. Might make a good zone corner. But playing in the trail position in man coverage he often looks outclassed even at the college level. Most of the time he doesn't look back for the ball until it's too late and again I can see him drawing more than a few flags. Mixed bag really. I'm not convinced.

- Jimmy Smith. Tackling in the open field is hit and miss. Run support - how do I put this politely - needs some work, mainly learning how to shed blocks from receivers. Pass coverage on the other hand is head and shoulders above anything else I've seen from this group. Had some character concerns early in his career but has apparently put all that behind him, learned from it and moved on, even assuming something of a leadership role this past year. Better than Amukamara and Peterson.

- Aaron Williams. Good mix of pass coverage and run support. Good tackler, physical, prepared to get stuck in and help out his team when needed. Pass coverage was generally very good. A solid pick.

- Brandon Harris. Quick feet, excellent play recognition, good pass coverage, excellent run support, high effort. Another corner who - like Williams and Smith - should be above Amukamara and Peterson. Draft analyst and former Texans GM Charely Casserly has supposedly rated Harris as nothing more than a fourth corner, which by my book means he should make a fine starter.

- Davon House. Good pass coverage, gets his hands to the ball well, comes down well in run support, tackles well and is overall a good corner.

- Ras-I Dowling. Good coverage, a hitter, plays very well in run support and looks back for the ball well in man coverage. Impressive.

- Curtis Brown. Was impressive in the drills at the combine, but couldn't get any film so can't really comment.

- Brandon Burton. Excellent open field tackler, though perhaps gets blocked a little too easily. Tracks the ball well in the air and has excellent timing on his jumps. Solid overall.

- Johnny Patrick. Fast, strong, generally good in pass coverage, good break ups. Probably a little better in zone than in man. Run support is good. Has the talent to be used as a blitzer off the edge. Seems more versatile than most of his fellow prospects. With a little bit of coaching will become an excellent corner.

- Kendric Burney. Tackling is a major issue, far too inconsistent. Surprisingly good in pass coverage despite his smaller size.

- Curtis Marsh. Pass coverage not bad and has good speed.

- Jalil Brown. Maybe I just got unlucky and saw all his low lights, but he looked awful. Pass coverage was bad, as was tackling.

- Shareece Wright. Good run recognition. Good tackler. Pretty smart. Another probably better suited to zone coverage than pure man. Under those conditions, I think he'll do well.

- Rashad Carmichael. Rubbish tackler - like Antonio Cromartie bad. Coverage not great, looks unbalanced in his back pedal and often gets lost.

- DeMarcus Van Dyke. Disgustingly skinny, your sister could have him in a fight. I'm interested to see him play just because I want to see him try and tackle someone like Brandon Jacobs... and get trucked.

- Buster Skrine. Very impressive tackler. Fast, agile, great concentration, possibly something of an overlooked little diamond. Had a great time in the field drills at the combine.

- Brandon Hogan. Pretty physical. Decision making ok. But I don't see much else. Pass coverage is average at best. Multiple character concerns.

- Byron Maxwell. Pretty good instincts, physical, tough, closes quickly, not a bad late round prospect at all.

- Anthony Gaitor. Looks a little slow in a straight line (beware the pro day 40), but play and route recognition is excellent. Shining example of "game speed" versus "track speed". Solid tackler. Plays the ball really well in the air. Will probably go late in the draft and be an absolute steal. A good example of everything that is wrong with NFL scouting. Should be a top 5 corner.

- James Dockery. Excellent coverage. Sticks with the receiver all the way down the field. Plays the ball well in the air. It should be noted here that I have no problem with corners batting down passes that appear very difficult to catch - and would in fact encourage it - but everyone else seems to get upset by that. Quick, agile, reads the play really well. Should be up there with Gaitor.

- Darrin Walls. Didn't see a whole lot. Seems quite good at adjusting to the ball in the air.

- Darian Hagan. Good speed, good recognition, plays the ball well in the air. Generally a good corner.

- Da'Mon Merkerson. Not bad in the trail position. Sometimes loses receiver a little but seems to recover well. Breaks up plenty of deep passes.

And there you go. There's your corners for 2011. There's probably some names I missed, but tough. Next up is the safeties, then hopefully a bumper post which will go back and look at some of the names I missed in other early groups that have since been rustled up. That last one will depend on if I can squeeze it out in time for the draft which draws ever closer!