Mel Kiper Jr. is back
with his second 2012 NFL mock draft for the first round.
We discussed the first one about a month ago, summarizing Kiper's thoughts and supplementing them with my own.
This updated look works from Kiper's updated mock, continuing with the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the 13th overall choice.
13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Kiper's give: As I've noted before, Arizona hasn't drafted an offensive lineman before the fifth round since 2007 -- and it's about time. Martin might start on the right side, but he has the physical tools to become the blindside tackle here. Questions remain about what the Cardinals will do at quarterback -- my guess for now is they simply stick with Kevin Kolb and hope that investment pays off -- but there's no question they have to be better up front regardless of who is back there.
Sando's take: Jeremy Bridges, Levi Brown and Brandon Keith all showed poorly in pass-blocking ratings from Pro Football Focus. Kiper is right in saying the Cardinals need better protection regardless of their quarterback's identity. Arizona's pass-blockers need help from their quarterbacks, too. Kolb had no feel for his line after arriving by trade at the last minute. His feel for the pocket also seemed shaky. Improved protection becomes more important for teams with less instinctive and anticipatory quarterbacks. Note that Anthony Davis, Ryan Clady, Branden Albert, Jammal Brown and Shawn Andrews were the five tackles drafted most recently with the 10th through 16th overall picks. Martin was the player Kiper targeted for the Cardinals in his previous mock as well.