Arizona Cardinals: 7-round mock draft

Round 5 Pick 1: DT D.J. Reader (Clemson)

The Arizona Cardinals made a big move last year when they added Rodney Gunter to a deep defensive line. While Gunter was impressive in his first year as a rookie, the Cardinals need to continue to get younger at the position and bring in more defensive lineman with Frostee Rucker getting older and Calais Campbell due for a payday in 2017. The team has plenty of other guys on the line that they like, but infusing even more young talent can go a long way for them.

Steve Keim has had success with Clemson players on the roster and it seems to be a school that he likes to add players from, both in the draft and via undrafted free agents. If Reader is there when they pick late in the fifth, then that’s a guy at 325 pounds, that Keim would strongly look at to fill up a lot of space.

Round 5 Pick 2: LB Elandon Roberts (Houston)

The Houston Cougars were one of the most impressive teams in the country last season and finished it off with a strong win over the Florida State Seminoles. One of the leaders of their team was linebacker Elandon Roberts. Roberts led the FBS in solo tackles and is a player that is shooting up many draft boards.

By being a leader of his team, he is a guy that Keim would generally gravitate toward, as he has brought many character guys into the fold and he’s also a guy that fits what the Cardinals do, and that’s stop the run at the line of scrimmage. While he isn’t much of a coverage guy, he is a very athletic individual and could be used in a variety of ways.

Next: Round 6