Cardinals Mailbag: Post-NFL Draft

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are set to begin rookie minicamp on May 10, which practically means football season is right around the corner. Massive events such as the NFL Combine and NFL Draft are now in the rearview mirror, and actual football (kind of) is on the horizon.

Thanks for all your post-draft mailbag questions, let's get into it.

Q: In terms of impact starters (upper NFL quartile), mid-level starters, capable backups, what do we need from each for this to be a successful draft?

The term successful is really loose, and we ultimately won't know who is asked to do what in the first couple years, though ideally this is what Arizona would get out of their haul:

I'd like to see at least two impact starters (and preferably their two first-round picks). Three more mid-level starters and two capable back-ups. That's accounting for most of the top selections in the first three rounds.

From there, you hope Arizona can get some extra juice out of their Day 3 guys, which they certainly can after looking at some contributors from last year.

I'd say if Harrison/Robinson can make good on their potential, Melton evolves into (at worst) a reliable corner and the rest follow suit, Arizona can feel good walking out of Detroit - time will tell, however, and of course this is all subjective.

Q: How many starters has GM Monti Ossenfort brought to the team via draft and acquisition?

Hmm. Let's see.

Free Agency: Justin Jones. Bilal Nichols. Sean Murphy-Bunting. Mack Wilson. Jonah Williams.

Those guys are for sure going to start. I'm curious to see if Evan Brown can make a push for the left guard spot, too.

NFL Draft: Marvin Harrison Jr., Darius Robinson, Max Melton

There's others who could make a push this season such as Isaiah Adams and Trey Benson if the Cardinals decide a committee approach is best in the backfield - though it's tough to imagine James Conner playing bad enough to see that happen.

Q: Sportsbooks have the Cardinals' win total at 6.5. What are the scenarios for the over/under hitting?

Man, I really like the over on that.

The Cardinals were two rare Matt Prater misses away from winning five games last season. With how competitive they were with a bare bones roster on top of a healthy Kyler Murray returning, it wouldn't surprise me to see them hit around eight wins.

If Arizona continues their progress, I'll take the over. There's simply too much to like.

For the under to hit, two wins wouldn't be the "worst" improvement, though it does feel like there's enough talent to do better. Perhaps that happens if the Cardinals again lose some close games they were in.

Q: Now that the draft is over, do you think the Cards make a swing for any big name free agents? For example Xavien Howard or possibly a trade like for Trey Hendrickson?

I think the Cardinals are likely done on their moves entering the next phase of the offseason.

Arizona has about $19 million in effective cap space (which takes the total amount of cap and subtracts the estimated money needed to sign their draft class), so they could make a move if they wanted.

However, teams normally like to bank a few million for any in-season emergencies, and Arizona can either choose to keep that cap space for next season or perhaps make a move at the trade deadline.

For now, I think they're content with the building blocks they've got - though I'm sure Ossenfort's reached out to see what price tags are for the respective individuals.

Q: What are reasonable expectations for each of the Cards' Day 1 picks in their first season?

Marvin Harrison Jr.: MVP (just kidding). Harrison should be expected to at least show an upgrade over other wideouts on the team and flash some brilliance on the field. There's no reason not to see him succeed right out of the gate, the opportunity will surely be there.

Darius Robinson: This is going to be a little more tricky with how Arizona beefed up the trenches, though you still expect a first-rounder to make noise in Year 1. I'm not sure how much run Robinson gets, though I do want to see him make explosive plays across multiple positions along the DL.

Q: How many of these draft picks start day one? Also, break down UDFA?

I kind of already glossed over this, but I think Harrison, Robinson and Melton are the sure-fire guys off the bat. Benson and Adams could make a play, too.

My dude Kyler Burd did a great eval of the UDFA's, which you can read here.