The Arizona Cardinals acquired the #33 selection in the NFL Draft (DT Alan Branch) for their 2nd round pick (#38) and their 4th round pick (#105).  This was an outstanding move for the Cardinals as Branch was graded out to be a player that was going to be selected early in the 1st round according to most experts.

1. (5)  Levi Brown, OT, Penn State

2. (33)  Alan Branch, DT, Michigan

3. (69)  Buster Davis, LB, Florida State

5. (142)  Steve Breaston, WR, Michigan

7. (215)  Ben Patrick, TE, Delaware

The Cardinals have signed Qasim Mitchell to a 1-year contract.  Mitchell did not play in the NFL last year, but he has 4 years of experience covering 22 games (16 of which he started).  Mitchell is a huge man at 6’5″, 347 pounds and fits into coach Ken Whisenhunt’s power approach to the running game.

I have conducted a complete 7 round draft for every team in the NFL.  If you want to see what I have projected for any other team in the NFL, click on the team name in the right hand margin and go to the team’s Draft Report page if you don’t see the article on the front page of the site.  This was a lot of work so I hope you enjoy it.

The Arizona Cardinals will likely be very happy after their first draft under Ken Whisenhunt and here are the players I project them to get:

1. (5)  Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin

2. (38)  Jonathan Wade, CB, Tennessee

3. (69)  Earl Everett, OLB, Florida

4. (105)  Scott Chandler, TE, Iowa

5. (142)  Sabby Piscitelli, S, Oregon State

7. (215)  Corey Anderson, FB, Tennessee

The Cardinals will be jumping for joy as Thomas will be sitting right there for them in the first round.  Wade, Everett and Piscitelli all provide good athletic ability for the defense.  And, Scott Chandler is a gift for the Cardinals in the 4th round as he could start as a rookie for them.

The Cardinals have signed CB Ralph Brown, DE Rodney Bailey and DE Joe Tafoya.  Brown is the most likely of this bunch to contribute to the defense.  He played in all 16 games last season for the Cleveland Browns and he made 36 tackles and defensed 8 passes.  He will likely be the Cardinals nickel or dime corner this season.  DE Rodney Bailey played in 12 games last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers and he made 6 tackles and defensed a pass.  He will likely make the team as a reserve player.  DE Joe Tafoya played in 13 games last season for the Seattle Seahawks and he made 12 tackles, defensed a pass and recovered a fumble.  These were good depth signings by the Cardinals who are trying to rebuild their defense right now.

The Cardinals have re-signed Nick Leckey to a 1-year contract.  He played in 14 games for the Cardinals last season and he started 11 of them.  In his NFL career, Leckey has played in 44 games (20 starts).  Leckey will likely be the backup for recently signed Al Johnson.

Kolodziej played in in 12 games last season for the Minnesota Vikings and he made 5 tackles.  He played for the Cardinals in the 2004+2005 season and he played in 29 games and made 30 tackles, had 4 sacks, defensed 2 passes, forced 2 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles.  He should provide good depth along the defensive line for the Cardinals this season.

The Cardinals have re-signed Antonio Smith to a 1-year contract.  He’s a very solid reserve for the Cardinals that could start if they needed him to.  He played in all 16 games for the Cardinals last season and he made 25 tackles, had 2.5 sacks and recovered 2 fumbles (1 for a TD).

This was a great move by the Cardinals who need all the help they can get on the offensive line.  Mike Gandy will likely play guard for the Cardinals.  He started all 16 games for the Buffalo Bills last season and he’s played in 64 games and started 62 of them over his 6-year career.  The 6’4″, 310 pound lineman will fit right in on the Cardinals who will look to run the football a little more than they did last season.