The Cardinals must improve on the offensive line under new head coach Mike LaFleur. Mauigoa brings a dose of nastiness to the unit.

The Cardinals had brief discussions* with the Raiders on a package that would include quarterback Kyler Murray and the No. 3 pick for the chance to draft Mendoza. (*By "brief," we mean we could hear laughter coming through our Slack channel.) All good. The Cardinals can use free agency to settle their QB situation and the draft to bolster their offensive line. Arizona's performance up front last season was terrible, so immediate help is needed. At 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, Mauigoa has great size and a mean streak the Cardinals need. Along with left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., he gives them solid building blocks up front. Baby steps.

There is depth at the tackle spot in this class, even if there isn't a no-doubt franchise left tackle prospect. Spencer Fano currently sits at the top of my board among tackle prospects. He's incredible in the run game but can be overpowered by bigger defenders in pass pro.

Best Pick: Third-round edge Jordan Burch was a big-time recruit coming out of high school and last season flashed that talent. He has pass-rush skills outside and inside, which the Cardinals needed.

Worst Pick: It's not that second-round corner Will Johnson doesn't have talent, but it's his health concerns that worried teams. He also didn't run a 40, and his speed is a concern. But he does have great ball skills.

The Skinny: I liked what they did. They addressed major needs on defense with their first three picks. First-round pick Walter Nolen adds a nice push-the-pocket player to the defense. Burch and fourth-round linebacker Cody Simon both could be steals.

Top needs entering the draft: Wide receiver, guard and cornerback

The Cardinals finished 8-9 last season, taking a clear step forward in coach Jonathan Gannon's second year in charge. Though their defense wasn't amazing -- they ranked 23rd in yards per play allowed, 25th in yards per rush allowed and 28th in pass rush win rate -- they're trending up, and the free agent signing of Josh Sweat should give the pass rush a boost. They have clear needs on that side of the ball, though, and I thought they needed to leave this draft with multiple defensive starters.

That's exactly what they did, taking defenders with their first five picks. Walter Nolen is a super-talented defensive tackle, but I thought he went a little high at No. 16. He has upside as a pass rusher, sure, but there's risk; he's inconsistent from down to down. Cornerback Will Johnson could be a Round 2 steal -- he ended up No. 11 on my Big Board. He's coming off an injury-plagued season, and I know his medicals were a big reason for his slide into Day 2. Based on his tape, though, he can shut down wideouts. And he fills a hole: The Arizona defense allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 69% of passes last season, which ranked 29th.

Jordan Burch, a five-star recruit out of high school, can play multiple positions along the defensive front. Arizona took two Buckeyes -- linebacker Cody Simon and cornerback Denzel Burke -- who have a ton of experience. Simon went about a round early based on my board, while Burke looked like a top-50 pick on tape at times. I'd love to see him fulfill his talent. Hayden Conner is my 18th-ranked guard, and I thought he might go undrafted. I'm not totally sold that any of the Cardinals' Day 3 picks will make an impact.

Overall, GM Monti Ossenfort tried to beef up a clear weakness, and I can't fault him there. I'm surprised he didn't take a wideout in a class full of solid players, though. If Johnson becomes a starter, this class could be just fine.

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