Arizona Cardinals 2018 full mock draft
By Joe Romano
Round 3 – Pick 97
Daesean Hamilton, WR, Penn State
Similar to the defensive side of the ball, Arizona boasts a premier player at one of the game’s most important position. Larry Fitzgerald, despite being one of the NFL’s oldest players, is still getting it done. He has shown that even with poor quarterback play, he can produce at every level of the field. After Fitzgerald, the position is pretty barren. Losing John Brown and Jaron Brown leaves Arizona with Chad Williams as the de-facto number two option. Luckily this is a deep wide receiver class.
Daesean Hamilton of Penn State would be a great addition for this team in round three with their second pick. Hamilton was a darling of the Senior Bowl. He may also be the class’ best route runner from the receiver position. Penn State’s offense did him no favors with a run-first approach and a run-first quarterback. On tape Hamilton was open a ton, but just did not receive the ball. He is similar to Calvin Ridley in that way.
Hamilton is being pushed down boards due to his athletic profile testing. Even on tape, he is not a plus athlete. His route running, and consistent footwork make him a nightmare for corners despite that. Learning from Fitzgerald could go a long way for him. He has been described, like Fitzgerald, as one of the best players off the field in the draft class. Arizona could turn him into the next Fitzgerald, lining up all over the formation. Hamilton will never been a deep threat but will give his quarterback plenty of help by uncovering and showing big windows to throw to.