2018 NFL Draft: Arizona Cardinals 7-round mock

FRISCO, TX - DECEMBER 20: Southern Methodist Mustangs wide receiver Courtland Sutton (16) warms up prior to the DXL Frisco Bowl game between the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and SMU Mustangs on December 20, 2017 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX. (Photo by Andrew Dieb/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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RALEIGH, NC – NOVEMBER 05: Florida State tight end Ryan Izzo (81) watches for the sideline play call during the first half between the Florida State Seminoles and the NC State Wolfpack on November 5, 2016, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, NC. The Seminoles defeated the Wolfpack 24-20. (Photo by Brian Utesch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Starting tight end Troy Niklas is slated to hit free agency and I fully expect general manager Steve Keim to target a tight end within the first four rounds of this draft.

While most of the publicity in this class falls on ultra-athletic pass-catchers like Dallas Goedert and Mike Gesicki, Ryan Izzo of Florida State is an underrated in-line tight end that would be a great value for the Cardinals in the fourth round.

Izzo has outstanding size (6-foot-5 and 250 pounds) and displays a great ability as an in-line blocker at the point of attack. He isn’t very agile and posted some disappointing numbers at the Combine (4.94 40-yard dash), but understands leverage and blocking assignments enough to open big holes as a lead blocker in the run game.

The free agent class at tight end could yield next year’s starter for Arizona (Trey Burton, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Tyler Eifert are just a few options) but I imagine they will want to pair any of those acquisitions with another tight end via the draft. Izzo could wind up falling into the fifth but, for now, he makes a lot of sense for the Cardinals at this spot in the fourth.

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