Cardinals slated to add defensive playmaker in College Football HQ's mock draft

The Arizona Cardinals may not be chasing offense in the latest College Football HQ mock draft, but they are clearly hunting impact.

Arizona will prioritize the defensive side at No. 5 overall and land Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. This pick says that they want difference makers, and Downs fits that bill immediately.

For the Cardinals this makes sense as the team is ranked towards the bottom of the league in overall defense with very few star players on that side of the ball.

In a division where there are three 10+ win teams they will need to draft well to be able to compete in the future.  

The Cardinals have young pieces worth developing, yet the unit still lacks a player whose offenses have to game plan around outside of Budda Baker.

 Downs has the skill set to play opposite of him in the secondary and be really good from Day 1.

Downs is not a traditional center field safety who simply patrols the deep middle. His value comes from versatility. At Ohio State, he lined up all over the field, thriving as a nickel defender, attacking downhill as a blitzer and holding his own in man coverage against tight ends and bigger slot receivers. 

That flexibility allows a defensive coordinator to disguise coverages and manufacture pressure without exposing the secondary.

For a Cardinals defense that has struggled to generate consistent disruption, Downs brings instant juice. His timing as a pass rusher stands out, especially when deployed from the slot where offensive lines are less prepared to account for him. 

He closes space quickly, finishes tackles and plays with the kind of edge Arizona has been missing in the middle of its defense.

The timing of this selection also matters. According to College Football HQ’s updated mock draft. 

Rather than reaching for offensive talent or settling for value that does not align with their board, Arizona leans into defense and secures arguably the best overall defensive player available.

Downs also fits the modern NFL trend of positionless defenders. He can function as a safety, nickel corner or hybrid linebacker depending on the matchup. Against pass heavy teams, he can erase tight ends. 

Against run focused offenses, he can crash the box and clean up plays before they spill into the second level. That adaptability is invaluable in a league built around exploiting mismatches.

Beyond the physical tools, Downs brings polish. His football IQ shows up in route recognition and anticipation, often arriving at the point of attack before the play fully develops. That awareness shortens the learning curve and makes him a strong candidate to start early in his career.

For Arizona, this is about more than adding another defender. It is about identity. The Cardinals want to be faster, more aggressive and harder to exploit in space. Downs checks all of those boxes and gives the defense a tone setter who can impact games in multiple ways.

If this mock draft projection holds, Arizona will get a defender capable of changing how opponents attack them. The Cardinals may quietly land one of the most important pieces of the first round.

Sometimes the smartest move is setting the tone and being aggressive when you see a player with exceptional talent.