An early look at the 2013 draft.

There isn't any point putting it off.  The inevitable is looming.  Just like every year since I was a kid we need to start talking about who the Cards are going to draft 7 weeks into the season.  I'm excited it took this long.  It means we've had one of our better seasons.  Unfortunately, it means that our season appears to be over. 

All right, I'm exaggerating quite a bit.  We're 4-3 and can lead the division with a win next week against the Niners.  But I don't see this ending well.  I mean like a 2-7 run kind of bad.  This offensive line is really really bad.  Its easily the worst in the NFL.  It might be the worst in the last 10 years of any NFL team. 

So let's look at the draft shall we?

With the first round pick the Cards better pray that Luke Joeckel falls to them.  He's a left tackle out of Texas A&M and looks to be the real deal.  Even if he's just average he's a major upgrade at the position.  If he's not there then hopefully Taylor Lewan is.  He might be just as good.  They are both juniors who haven't declared, but they most likely are coming out early. 

In the second round, they're gonna have to get even luckier.  They better pray even harder that one of the two 'Bama guards falls to them.  Guards tend to slip in drafts like DeCastro last year, so it may play into their favor.  Chance Warmack is a monster.  He's the guy you want at guard because he will bite ears off... through helmets.  He's got all the tools to be great, but since he's a guard no one cares.  The Cards better.  Because right now neither Colledge nor Snyder are looking very good.  If Chance is gone then they better hope to get Barrett Jones.  This guy is versatile.  He's started at just about every position on the line and done very well.  While I like Chance a tad better, I won't cry if Barrett falls to them. 

And in the third, they will draft a center.  WILL.  Sendlein isn't good enough.  They need new blood there.  They can go after a guy like Khaled Holmes out of USC.  Strong and steady and not easily moved.  Sounds good to me. 

If we're dreaming, and we are, the line will look like this:

  LT              LG                C            RG          RT
Joeckel     Warmack     Holmes     Brown     Massie

Massie hopefully will show enough improvement to keep his job at right tackle.  I'm not sure he'd make a good right guard.  But Massie/Brown on the right seems to make sense. 

With the next 4 picks I'd pick the best available Tackles and Guards.  I'm not kidding.  A whole draft dedicated the Oline.  I wouldn't bother scouting other positions (totally lying).  This pathetic excuse of an offensive line needs a massive overhaul.  And I'm hoping they will FINALLY see it too.