The NFL Combine is a thing of the past, plenty of pro days are upcoming and legal tampering in free agency begins Monday. With the No. 16 overall pick in hand, the Arizona Cardinals have major decisions to make leading up to and, of course, during this year’s NFL Draft (April 24-26).
Should Arizona select an edge rusher in the first round? Or, should the Cardinals go after an offensive lineman before tapping into a projected deep edge rushing class?
ESPN’s Matt Miller joined Burns & Gambo on Friday and said, whatever the franchise decides, it all boils down to the “best value” over the draft’s first three rounds.
“OK, if we don’t go defensive end in round one, what’s going to be there in round two,” Miller said. “I would say this year the defensive end position is deep into round two and maybe the top (of) round three, but there is going to be a drop off in the caliber of player that you’re getting (at 16).”
Matt Miller on if edge rush is the priority in Round 1
Seven of the Cardinal’s most-mock-drafted players have been at the edge position, while four have been defensive lineman and four on the offensive line. James Pearce, a 6-foot-5, 245-pound edge rusher out of Tennessee, has been mocked the most frequently (16 times) while Georgia’s Jalon Walker is the second-most popular edge candidate for the Cardinals (13).
While Pearce and Walker may be the ideal choices for Arizona, Miller said he is eyeing Marshall’s Mike Green (mocked six times) and Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku (mocked once) as “more complete” pieces, perhaps safer and more attainable in the middle portion of round one.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein described Green as a “high-energy pass rusher” who executes with high-level instincts. Zierlein’s pro comparison for the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year is Alex Highsmith, a fifth-year veteran linebacker on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As for Ezeiruaku (who was a recent mock on Tuesday), NFL.com gave him a prospect grade equivalent to “will become good starter within two years” for his combine performance that was second-best among edge rushers. Zierlein compared his game to New England Patriots defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.
Offensive line first, edge second
Because Miller projects this year’s edge rushers to be so strong, he thinks a “better strategy” is for the Cardinals to target an offensive lineman with their first-round selection, especially with a need at right tackle.
“If Armand Membou (of Missouri) happens to be there at 16, I think you run that card in. I know they do it electronically now, but it’s a fun old saying, right,” Miller said. “You email that ‘card’ in as fast as possible if Armand Membou’s there. Josh Conerly (Jr.) from Oregon is another good player that could fit at right tackle.”
Membou has been mocked to Arizona on three occasions. The 6-foot-4 player with 30 career starts at right tackle earned the highest athleticism score (94 out of 100) among participating offensive tackles in the 2025 NFL Combine.
Conerly, on the other hand, hasn’t been mocked to the Cardinals (NFL Mock Draft Database has him going 31st to the Kansas City Chiefs). He was slotted at left tackle for 28 games over the past two seasons with the Ducks, including a First Team All-Big Ten nod in 2024. Like Miller, Zierlein sees Conerly filling in at either side of the line, with the potential of becoming a “good starter at tackle or guard.”
Miller also tossed out Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, who has been mocked twice to Arizona and played 13 games at right tackle in 2022 with San Diego State. He cautioned that pick investment, however, due to Simmons’ torn patellar tendon in his left knee that caused him to miss his final 10 possible games.
Miller not concerned about Marvin Harrison Jr.
Looking back at the Cardinal’s previous first-round draft pick in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Miller said he is not worried about the No. 4 overall pick’s trajectory.
“I remember the days when wide receivers didn’t do anything as rookies because it is such a hard transition,” Miller said. “I think Marvin was expected to be the savior of that passing game to some degree, especially with Trey (McBride) not getting into the end zone so much early in the year. I think (Harrison Jr.) saw a lot of coverages that those other receivers didn’t.
“I still anticipate he’s going to be a great, great pro.”
Harrison Jr., son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, played all 17 regular season games for Arizona and caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. His receiving yards total ranked fifth among rookies (Jacksonville Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. had 1,282) and was tied-second in touchdown receptions (Thomas Jr. led with 10).