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It seems like Arizona has been "rebuilding" for decades now but in recent years it appears as though they have finally gotten on the right track. A catalyst behind this improvement and renewed optimism has been their strong performances on Draft Day and if you had to sum up their efforts in a single word it would be value. Regardless of where they have been picking the Cardinals have managed to get good value, often times landing prospects later than they should have gone. This year was no different. 
It was pretty clear from the onset that the Cardinals most glaring need was at cornerback but word was they felt as though they could get a good one in round two. However, instead of taking a running back (Rashard Mendenhall) like many thought they would Arizona did indeed opt for a cover guy in the first round and they landed a good one. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of Tennessee St. may not have played against top competition in college but he answered those questions by not only holding his own at the Senior Bowl but standing out against some of the best prospects in the country. Then a month later "D.R.C." went to the Scouting Combine and blew the doors off the R.C.A. Dome, running a 4.31 forty and looking like a natural in positional drills. Rodgers-Cromartie is the cousin of San Diego Chargers Pro Bowler Antonio Cromartie and they are actually very similar types of players, with rare athleticism and the hands / ball skills of a wide receiver. A lot of teams already regret letting Antonio fall all the way to the middle of round one and I have a feeling Dominique will wind up being a steal as well. Antrel Rolle has officially made the move inside to safety so look for Rodgers-Cromartie to push Eric Green for a starting job very early on.A year ago at this time many viewed Miami (FL) defensive end Calais Campbell as a future Top 5-10 overall pick but a poor junior season and sub par workouts sent his stock plummeting. Still, at #50 overall the potential rewards far outweighed the risks and if he can return to the form he showed in 2006 he could turn out to be a major steal for Arizona. At 6-7 and 290 lbs. Campbell is a rare physical specimen and while he is certainly a good pass rusher he can also hold his own against the run and should be a nice fit in Arizona's 3-4 defensive scheme. Darnell Dockett is entrenched at one defensive end spot but even though Antonio Smith is solid he certainly isn't anything to write home about so Campbell could compete for a starting job, maybe as early as 2008. With Bryant Johnson bolting as a free agent and Anquan Boldin unhappy with his contract situation the Cardinals needed to bolster their depth at wide receiver and they did that in round three by selecting Early Doucet of L.S.U. At one point in the draft process Doucet was considered to be a potential first round pick but an injury-plagued senior season and poor forty times pushed him down draft boards. A great athlete, Doucet is actually a poor-man's Boldin and he will have a good chance to come in and earn significant playing time as the #3, or worst-case #4, wideout as a rookie. 
In round four the Cardinals continued to address the defensive end position by selecting Kenny Iwebema of Iowa. Iwebema made a name for himself early in his college career by getting the best of Joe Thomas and while he was never really able to build on that success he was still regarded to be one of the better two-way ends in this draft. Iwebema may never be more than a backup at the next level but he could find a home and excel as a five-technique in the Cardinals 3-4 scheme. In round five Arizona finally brought in a running back to ease Edgerrin James' load when they chose Richmond's Tim Hightower. You can't argue with the position because the Cardinals were definitely looking for a running back but Hightower may have been a bit of a reach and he really doesn't possess any special qualities, especially in the size and speed departments. Hightower probably profiles as a career backup in the NFL but he does give Arizona a different look stylistically than guys like Marcell Shipp and J.J. Arrington do. Edge has a lot of miles on his tires though so if he continues to wear down and show signs of his advanced age they may wind up regretting not grabbing a better running back earier in this draft...The Cardinals went back to the well and grabbed yet another defensive end in round six when they selected Chris Harrington of Texas A&M. A classic jack-of-all-trades but master of none, Harrington isn't a dynamic pass rusher by any stretch of the imagination but he does do a nice job against the run. It would be a surprise if Harrington ever developed into anything more than a backup in the pros but he should excel in that role and provide excellent depth. With their final pick in round seven the Cardinals brought in a very intriguing developmental prospect in Northern Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Keith. After bouncing around at a number of colleges, including a stop at Oklahoma, Keith finally settled in with the Panthers and began to live up to his vast potential. At 6-5 and 340 lbs. with above average athleticism Keith has all the physical tools you look for and if he can keep his head on straight he could turn out to be a late round steal. Keith has the talent to develop into a starter but he could also just as easily flame out, however late in the draft his potential was certainly worth taking a flyer on. Able to play either tackle of guard, look for Keith to battle for a backup job and since Arizona doesn't have a lot of depth along the offensive line he probably has a pretty good shot at making the team. In recent years Arizona has drafted about as well as any team in the league and that trend continued in 2008. Not only did they address needs but they landed talented players who in many cases could have come off the board much earlier than they did. This class may feature only one immediate starter (Rodgers-Cromartie) but that is more of a testament to the job they have done of collecting talent over the past few years than it is an indictment of the players they selected. It's been a long road to respectability for the Cardinals but they may finally be getting to the point where they can be legitimate contenders in the near future and drafts like this are a big reason why. GRADE: B+ 
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