Dane Brugler and the good people over at CBS's NFLDraftScout.com have put together a series of analyses that look a little deeper at each teams' draft picks and which players might have a big impact in 2012. Many would say obvious impact player for Arizona would likely be receiver Michael Floyd, who, when paired with Larry Fitzgerald could cause havoc for opposing defenses. Brugler, however, looks elsewhere, identifying Bobby Massie, an offensive tackle out of University of Mississippi.
A highly decorated prep prospect, the 6-6, 316-pound Massie started each of his three seasons at Mississippi. Every one of his starts came at right tackle, where the Cardinals currently have a gaping hole. Arizona had featured Brandon Keith at this spot in the past. Keith is talented but struggled with durability and is currently a street free agent. Veteran Jeremy Bridges and journeyman D'Anthony Batiste are other potential options at the position but sources close to the team suggest that the team will give Massie every opportunity to win the starting job.
To get a starting right tackle in year one with a fourth round pick could be what teams may consider 'value'. Integral in the run game, essential in pass protection, and keeping Kevin Kolb or John Skelton upright comes before either of those signal callers can throw a pass to Fitzgerald or Floyd.
Brugler continues:
Based purely on talent, Massie could prove a steal for the Cardinals. The former Rebel ranked No. 34 on my Big Board and boasts as much physical talent as any of the offensive linemen drafted in the two rounds before his name was called at No. 112 overall. League sources tell me the reason why Massie fell to this point in the draft had nothing to do with his play on the field. Massie showed little in terms of technical improvement over his career with the Rebels, raising plenty of questions about his work ethic and dependability.
Characterized as a potential candidate to slip into the late first round in the weeks preceding the draft, Massie will likely enter his rookie season with a huge chip on his shoulder.
The Cardinals are taking a risk on Massie, who fell because of character concerns, but if they can get him to keep his head on straight, he could be one of the more underrated pickups in the Draft, league wide.
For more in depth discussion and analysis of the Arizona Cardinals, make sure to check out SB Nation Arizona and their Cards blog Revenge of the Birds. For more on the NFL offseason in general, make sure to head over to SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.
