The Arizona Cardinals once again publicly professed their love for franchise quarterback Kyler Murray at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine.
“The way Kyler came back at the end of the year gave us all a lot of confidence,” GM Monti Ossenfort said regarding Murray’s return from his ACL tear. “I think as always we’re going to evaluate every position that comes in the draft, but knowing Kyler is where he’s at, and not only where he’s at but getting better and seeing him work and progress the way he has, I think it’s an exciting spot to be in.”
Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon put it simply: “The game will go through No. 1.”
Murray returned from knee surgery in the second half of last season, finishing 3-5 as a starter including two wins against playoff teams. While tight end Trey McBride quietly developed into one of the more consistent playmaking tight ends in the league and running back James Conner provided grit, toughness and production from the running back spot, the Cardinals have no wide receivers on the perimeter who scare opponents.
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According to Next Gen Stats, they had 1,786 yards from the receiver spot in 2023. Only the New York Jets (1,696) and Atlanta Falcons (1,650) had fewer. Arizona’s top receiver, Marquise Brown, couldn’t stay on the field last season due to injuries and is set to hit free agency.
Michael Wilson showed promise in his rookie season, but other than the Stanford product, the Cardinals don’t have a player with any real size on the perimeter.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is widely considered the best receiver prospect in this year’s draft and has been mocked to the Cardinals by several NFL draft analysts at No. 4. The son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison, the Ohio State product has all the tools to develop into a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
“Marvin’s been a great player,” Ossenfort said. “He’s been a productive player these last couple years. It’s a strong receiver draft. There’s good players at the top of the draft, there’s good depth throughout the mid rounds. … We’ve done a lot of work on Marvin, just like we have in the rest of the draft, and we’re excited to continue to work him here through the process for the next couple months.”
While Harrison appears a can’t-miss prospect if available for the Cardinals at No. 4, Washington receiver Rome Odunze could be an ideal fit for Murray and the Cardinals because of his knack for winning contested catches down the field for chunk plays. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Odunze is similar to big-bodied receivers who played for the Cardinals when they were perennial playoff contenders, stars such as Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
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FOX Sports NFL Draft Analyst Rob Rang has Odunze ranked as his No. 3 receiver in this year’s draft behind Harrison and LSU‘s Malik Nabers. In his latest mock draft, Rang has Odunze going No. 7 to the Tennessee Titans.
“Most years, Odunze would rank as the top receiver in his draft class,” Rang said. “It isn’t out of the question that he’ll earn the top spot for some clubs this year. From both a physical skills and grit standpoint, he ranks as one of the safer prospects at any position in this class and a future headlining starter.”
FOX Sports NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks compares Odunze to Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase and has Harrison and Odunze more closely rated than some other draft experts.
“He plays with physicality and ruggedness on the perimeter,” Brooks said about Odunze on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “He’s an outstanding ball catcher. He can win contested catches down the field just by using his leaping ability, or just physically overpowering people. He’s terrific with the ball in his hands after the catch. … I think the conversation between those guys vying for No. 1 [receiver] is a little closer than we’ve talked about for most of the regular season.”
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah calls Odunze his favorite player in the draft.
“There’s a bounce and an energy to him that I love,” Jeremiah said. “I love the fact that even though you might have to coach some of this out of him, he hates running out of bounds. You’ll see the competitiveness in him. When he is on the sideline, he tries to get everything he can get. He is a real, real competitive football player.
“Some of the stuff that I hear talking to sources and connections up there is that the guy is incredibly bright. He is a great leader. He knows every spot in the receiving room. He can play anywhere. He has been training with Ricky Proehl, and Proehl said he is as smart of a receiver as he has ever been around.”
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Odunze was highly productive at Washington, posting at least 100 receiving yards in 10 different games. He also topped the Pac-12 in receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, including leading college football with 1,640 yards in 2023. Odunze also knows how to put the ball in the box, with 26 total touchdowns during his time with the Huskies.
For the Cardinals, Odunze would be a field stretcher who could consistently make plays on the perimeter because of his size and playmaking ability, consistently winning contested catches outside the numbers.
Seventy percent of Odunze’s receptions came on routes down the field on the perimeter, including go routes (13.9%), fades (16.1%) and out routes (10.9%). Last season, Murray completed just 3-of-21 attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown on go routes, per Next Gen Stats.
The Cardinals finished No. 28 in receptions of 20-plus yards in 2023. Odunze could help improve that statistic, along with bringing more grit, toughness and leadership to a culture being reestablished by Gannon and Ossenfort.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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