Arizona Cardinals 7-Round Mock Draft 2023

The 2023 NFL Draft is almost here, and the Arizona Cardinals are desperate to improve their roster with an influx of young talent. New general manager Monti Ossenfort and new head coach Jonathan Gannon hope to address their needs at corner, edge, and offensive line while jumpstarting their rebuild. With that in mind, here is the full Arizona Cardinals 7-round mock draft for 2023.

Arizona Cardinals 7-Round Mock Draft 2023

Round One, Pick 7: Christian Gonzalez, CB | Oregon

According to many league sources, the Cardinals have many suitors for the third pick in the draft. With a top-heavy quarterback market and the Cardinals not in desperate need of a rookie QB, they should take every call possible to find the best deal to trade back. In this mock, the Raiders come calling, hoping to gain their franchise quarterback of the future. Trading the seventh pick, a first-rounder in 2024, a second-rounder in 2024, and a seventh-rounder in 2024, the Cardinals add more depth to their future draft class while also tallying an extra first-rounder.

After trading back and settling into the seventh slot, quarterbacks light up the top five picks. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis all go in that order, followed by Will Anderson Jr. to the Seahawks and Jalen Carter to the Lions. At seven, the highest positional need and best player available falls right into the Cardinals’ lap. Taking Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon, the Arizona Cardinals fill a humongous hole at the outside corner.

With unbelievable speed and the perfect frame for a corner at six-foot-one, 197 pounds, Gonzalez can really do it all. Boasting a vertical that rivals the best NFL receivers and ball skills that gift him numerous takeaways, Gonzalez is a no-brainer for the Arizona Cardinals. He’ll be a cornerstone of that defense for years to come.

Round Two, Pick 35: Nolan Smith, Edge | Georgia

A player who is one hundred percent a first-round talent, Nolan Smith somehow found himself available on day two. With J.J. Watt retiring and 2022 standout, Zach Allen, leaving for the Denver Broncos in free agency, the Cardinals find themselves in desperate need of a disruptive edge rusher. Smith is exactly what the team is looking for.

With crazy measurables at six-foot-two, 240 pounds, and still running a 4.39 40-yard dash, Smith is a freak of nature athlete. He may be coming off an injury that kept him out of half of his final season at Georgia, but that didn’t slow him down at all at the combine. The best run-stopping edge in the draft and a dominant pass rusher who can also drop into coverage, Smith allows the Cardinals to fill a massive gap up front and become their leading disruptor. He is a steal at 35.

Round Three, Pick 67: O’Cyrus Torrence, IOL | Florida

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the guard position is a weaker one in this draft class, but there are a few standouts. With Kyler Murray needing some protection and an aging line not doing much to help, the Cardinals add O’Cyrus Torrence in the third round. A dominant run blocker at Florida, Torrence is widely considered the best guard in the draft class. A consensus All-America in 2022, Torrence is a physically imposing threat to anyone on the field. At six-foot-five, 347 pounds, the monstrous guard has never surrendered a sack in his entire career. That’s 3000 snaps! The perfect combination of power and speed makes a steal at 67.

Round Three, Pick 97: Sydney Brown, S | Illinois

With Budda Baker demanding a trade out of Arizona, the Cardinals will need a new safety to come in and take over. Focusing on the high-potential secondary in this draft, the team selects Sydney Brown out of Illinois. A perfect fit for the Arizona Cardinals and a Jonathan Gannon defense, Brown is a prototypical safety with perfect measurables for his position.

At five-foot-ten, 211 pounds, Brown has a good combination of size and speed at the NFL level. In fact, his speed is perfect for the NFL. Running a 4.47 40-yard dash with an 87th percentile 10-yard split, Brown Brown has incomparable speed at the safety position. That, compared with his amazing zone recognition and reliable tackling, makes Brown a plug-and-play starter only buried in the fourth round by a strong safety class.

Round Four, Pick 106: Thomas Incoom, DL | Central Michigan

Just adding Nolan Smith to the defensive front isn’t enough to turn the ship around for the Arizona Cardinals. Smartly, the team knows they need versatility up front. Adding Thoman Incoom, a hybrid edge and interior defensive lineman, does just that. The explosive run defender has a unique ability to jump the snap and blow by tackles. He also has the strength to take guards off their feet. His low pad level is his biggest strength, though, as it allows him to dominate against the run.

The only downside with Incoom is the level of play he was at in college. Central Michigan is definitely not a powerhouse, and Incoom is such a raw prospect that it is hard to say how he will develop. With boom or bust potential, Gannon takes a project at 106.

Round Five, Pick 170: Andre Iosivas, WR | Princeton

With DeAndre Hopkins on the trade block and Chosen Anderson signing with the Miami Dolphins, the Arizona Cardinals are in desperate need of a receiver. Once again, having to pursue larger holes means they wait until late in the draft and choose another boom or bust prospect. Recently, many lower-division players have taken the league by storm with their unseen skills. With Andre Iosivas coming from Princeton, hopefully, he does the same for the Cardinals.

The FCS All-American, Iosivas, has the prototypical frame of an NFL receiver, standing at six-foot-three, 205 pounds. Testing off the charts at the combine, it’s shocking to see his draft stock not shoot up the charts. A great route runner with an unbelievable catch radius, Iosivas has the potential to be a star receiver at the NFL level. With great get-up off the line and top-end speed that rivals the best in the class, Iosivas and his role as a dominant outside threat add a potential star for Kyler Murray.

Round Six, Pick 182: Tyjae Spears, RB | Tulane

Simply, Tyjae Spears can do it all. For the Arizona Cardinals and their lack of depth at the running back position, that is an asset. Spears has every trait needed to be a dominant force in the backfield; the only question is can the Cardinals line support him? Well, with his ability to bounce off of linemen and linebackers, Spears never has a problem turning what should be a negative yardage play into a downfield gain.

With route running that rivals NFL receivers, Spears can also be trusted on screens, slip-outs, texas routes, and in the RPO game. The perfect blend of speed and power, Spears is a bowling ball that can also block when needed. Worthy of a day-two pick, Spears is an amazing prospect that will fall because of the position he plays.

Round Six, Pick 215: Cameron Mitchell, CB | Northwestern

A player who I am very high on, Cameron Mitchell, should be taken higher than the sixth round. Unfortunately for him, but luckily for the Arizona Cardinals, the hype hasn’t reached him. A day-two or early day-three talent that will fall to the last rounds, Mitchell has the potential to be a late-round emerging talent like Tariq Woolen in 2022.

Another corner with the prototypical frame, Mitchell put together a great film against one of the best receivers in this draft class Jaxon Smith-Njigba. A high-end corner trapped on a dismal Northwestern team, Mitchell will improve a ton with support around him. He may not have the greatest speed but he makes up for it with almost perfect footwork and hand usage. If Gonzalez gets the primary role covering outside, Mitchell can be a solid number two or slot corner, even as a sixth-round pick for the Arizona Cardinals.

That’s it, the complete 7-round mock draft for the Arizona Cardinals in 2023. Ossenfort and Gannon add a ton of boom or bust talent in the mid-round, hoping to hit on a few and really jump this rebuild into action. There are some stars in the making in the 2023 NFL Draft, and only time will tell until we learn what the Arizona Cardinals will really do, but with this mock in mind, the Cardinals should pursue every option possible to launch this rebuild into gear.