2024 NFL Mock Draft: Arizona Cardinals full 7-round projection in early-February

Round 5, Pick 140: Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin

The Cardinals will likely release James Conner to save $6 million against the cap. He did run for 1,000 yards and averaged 5.0 yards per carry last year, so maybe they just restructure his contract, but their second-leading rusher last year (Emari Demercado) still had under 300 yards.

In Round 5 of the draft, they choose Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen. Allen had 181 carries last season for 984 yards (5.4 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns. He is a big back (6-foot-2 and 245 pounds) but he has speed as well (4.40-second 40). He is built for contact and could be one of those near-extinct creatures, a workhorse back.

He has great hands in the passing game and turns up-field with purpose once the ball is in his hands. He is a great playmaker, and when the quarterback gets the ball in his hands, good things happen. He benched 365 pounds last year and power-cleaned 406. He claims his body fat percentage went from an already impressive 11% to just 8% last season.

He's great on screen passes and catching in the flat,. but is not very effective when lined up wide. He's a big guy but needs to make himself smaller when getting through the hole. Once he gets through, he looks for contact and bulls over defenders, falling forward at the end of his runs.

Round 6, Pick 188: De'Corian Clark, WR, UTSA

You can never have too much of a good thing, and since the Cardinals receiving room is light going into 2024, they use their 188th pick to grab their second receiver of the draft in UTSA pass-catcher De'Corian Clark. He's a big target for Murray (6-foot-3 and 215 pounds). He runs the 40 between 4.40 and 4.45 seconds. When UTSA quarterback Frank Harris targeted Clark in the passing game, he had a passer rating of 118.8.

He is available so low because he only played in 2 games in 2023. In 2022 though, he caught 51 passes for 741 yards (14.5 yards per catch) and 8 touchdowns. He has a 35-inch vertical jump and can go up and get the ball when he needs to. He also excels in yards after the catch, making him dangerous no matter where he catches the ball. Needs to do a better job catching with his hands on deep passes.