The Arizona Cardinals find themselves in fairly solid position, picks-wise, as the team approaches Thursday night’s opening round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The team will have the 23rd pick in that round, thanks to going 11-6 during the 2021 NFL regular season and making the playoffs for the first time in half a decade.
Now, the Cardinals find themselves faced with deciding who will be their next franchise cornerstone player, and Arizona sports betting fans hope that decision moves the Cardinals up the Super Bowl odds chart.
The Cardinals currently are listed at +2000 to win Super Bowl LVII on BetMGM Arizona, ranking ninth on the operator’s odds board.
Here’s a breakdown of who Arizona has the best odds of drafting, according to Bookies.com oddsmaker Adam Thompson.
Cardinals First Round Pick Odds (No. 23)
| 🏈 Tyler Linderbaum, C | Iowa | +400 |
| 🏈 George Karlaftis, Edge | Purdue | +425 |
| 🏈 Boye Mafe, Edge | Minnesota | +500 |
| 🏈 Zion Johnson, G | Boston College | +500 |
| 🏈 Trent McDuffie, CB | Washington | +550 |
| 🏈 Andrew Booth, CB | Clemson | +600 |
| 🏈 The Field | N/A | +500 |
Odds are projected by Bookies.com and do not reflect any odds that may be available at legal Arizona betting apps.
Cardinals Looking for Offensive, Defensive Line Help
The Cardinals struggled mightily in the Wild Card round against the eventual Super Bowl LVI champion Los Angeles Rams and their All-Pro defensive lineman, Aaron Donald.
That’s why Thompson pins the Cardinals best odds on Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum (+400), with Boston College guard Zion Johnson (+500) ranking in a tie for third on his list.
Picking an offensive lineman could serve as an olive branch to quarterback Kyler Murray, whose contract situation has made for a lot of offseason drama.
“The Cardinals' biggest issue at the end of the year was on their offensive line,” Bookies.com NFL Draft analysis Marcus Mosher said. “In the playoff game against the Rams, their interior offensive line just couldn't hold up against Aaron Donald. While that's always tough to do, they've got to rebuild the middle of their offensive line.”
Other players that make the Bookies odds list for the Cardinals include Purdue edge George Karlaftis (+425) and Minnesota edge Boye Mafe (+500), along with Washington and Clemson cornerbacks, Trent McDuffie, and Andrew Booth (+550 and +600 apiece).
After that, “the field” is at +500, which could be apt given Cardinals GM Steve Keim’s off-the-beaten-track picks in the opening round of late.
“Keep an eye on the cornerback spot, as well, for the Cardinals,” Mosher said. “Arizona feels good about Byron Murphy, but they could use more help on the outside. Cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon could be options at No. 23 as the Cardinals have a ton of experience with Washington defensive backs (Murphy and Budda Baker).”
Last year’s draft saw the Cardinals pick University of Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins, a year after they grabbed another linebacker, Isaiah Simmons, out of Clemson.
Complete List of Cardinals 2022 Draft Picks
- Round 1 (Pick 23)
- Round 2 (Pick 55)
- Round 3 (Pick 87)
- Round 6 (Pick 201)
- Round 6 (Pick 215)
- Round 7 (Pick 244)
- Round 7 (Pick 256)
- Round 7 (Pick 257)
