Falcons' $81 million star defender named better choice than Cardinals’ failed top-10 pick

The Arizona Cardinals have become a regular presence near the top of the NFL Draft in recent years, making a top-10 selection in three of the last five drafts.

But despite all those premium picks, their best selection in that span might be a second-rounder: No. 55 overall tight end Trey McBride. Meanwhile, several of their first-rounders remain question marks — including 2020’s No. 8 overall pick, linebacker Isaiah Simmons, who Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder recently labeled the worst of the bunch.

“It’s understandable what the Cardinals were thinking when they took Simmons with a top-10 draft pick,” Holder wrote. “The NFL had become a passing league in which big college safeties were routinely converted into linebackers.

“However, the Clemson product ended up not having a natural position in the league and was eventually traded for a seventh-round pick. Simmons is currently on the Green Bay Packers, where he’ll be fighting for a roster spot during training camp.”

Simmons played three seasons in Arizona before spending the last two years with the New York Giants. Over five NFL seasons, he has appeared in 84 games with 42 starts, totaling five interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 21 pass deflections, nine forced fumbles and 8.5 sacks.

Holder argued that the Cardinals should have opted for current Atlanta Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. instead — even though the team had Patrick Peterson and Byron Murphy Jr. on the roster at the time.

Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp

“At the time, cornerback wasn’t a big need since Arizona had Patrick Peterson and Byron Murphy Jr. on the roster,” Holder wrote. “But 2020 ended up being Peterson’s last season with the Cardinals, so adding an All-Pro-caliber corner like Terrell would have been a good investment.

“The position is one of the team’s current needs/weaknesses, so this would have been a better long-term solution in the desert.”

Terrell has developed into one of Atlanta’s top defenders. He’s started all 78 games he’s played in, notching six interceptions, 49 pass deflections and four forced fumbles. Last year, he signed a four-year, $81 million extension to remain with the Falcons.

Arizona has been working to rebuild its defense in recent drafts. This year, they added Michigan corner Will Johnson in the second round — though he’ll need to overcome durability concerns. They also took Denzel Burke out of Ohio State in the fifth round.