Analyst: Luke Joeckel would fit well with Arizona Cardinals
Feb 8, 2013, 6:39 PM | Updated: 6:50 pm
You may go ahead and file this away in the “yeah, we know” section of your NFL knowledge, but NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks has gone out and said it:
Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel would be a good fit with the Arizona Cardinals.
Regarded as the top left tackle in the 2013 draft class, Joeckel certainly looks the part. At 6-foot-6 and 310 pounds he has the size, and he’s a very good athlete who was very productive in blocking for 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.
Needless to say, many teams could use a player like Joeckel, and a few of them are set to pick before Arizona is on the clock.
However, should he still be around at the seventh spot, Brooks believes the Cardinals would be wise to draft him.
The Cardinals started a pair of rookie offensive tackles (Nate Potter and Bobby Massie) in 2012, but neither player can rival the talent or athleticism of Joeckel. With Bruce Arians committed to pushing the ball down the field with a vertical passing attack, the presence of a standout left tackle could help the Cardinals’ offense regain the explosiveness that has been missing in recent years.
The presence of Potter and Massie, as well as the return of Levi Brown from injury, may lead new coach Bruce Arians and his staff a different direction when they pick, even if Joeckel is still on the board.
But it may never even get to that point, as Brooks notes Joeckel would be a good fit for the Kansas City Chiefs, who pick first, and Philadelphia Eagles, who select fourth.
