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The Arizona Cardinals are heading into the 2008 draft, with there hopes held very high on a successful 2008 season. They ended the 2007 season on a very good high note, smashing the rival Rams 48 to 19 and ending the 2007 with there best record in four seasons with 8-8. When you look at this Arizona roster, there are a few glaring needs on this team to get them to be the best in the west.

    Ever since the 2001 season Edgerrin James has played in 13 or more games a season which can definitely take a toll on a running back. James, is entering his ninth season and his back is about to break when it comes to carrying the workload on running the ball for this team. When you look at teams such as the Giants and Jaguars, they both have a very good running back tandem and I think that’s what the Cardinals need. Do we really think that Marcel Shipp and JJ Arrington are legitimate number 2 running backs? Arrington played in 12 games last season but only rushed for 78 yards on 26 attempts.  Let’s look at the other former starter in Marcel Shipp who along with Arrington also went undrafted. In 2002 he had a breakout year, his rookie season with six touchdowns and 834 yards but ever since that he has been hanging onto this roster by a thin thread. In 2007, they only gave Shipp the ball 15 times and he rushed for 41 yards. Lets face it James as I mentioned is entering his ninth season and the Cardinals definitely need to focus more on the running game and less on the passing game by drafting there future running back in this years draft.  

  Although the Cardinals do have two Pro Bowl receivers they will feel a loss at the wide out position by losing Bryant Johnson to free agency. The Cardinals have not made any attempts to reach out and sign a third receiver in free agency which worries me because if any of these two wide outs go down then what will they do? They need to look at this third wide out position like the Giants did with David Tyree and he turned out pretty well, making that clutch play because the other two wide outs were covered.  

 The Cardinals are pretty close to moving Antrel Rolle to free safety and with that that makes the cornerback position a pretty big need. I am a pretty huge fan of Roderick Hood, especially after having a great season with 5 seasons but I am not really sold on Eric Green just yet due him having one interception in 38 games. I think the nickel position really hasn’t given Green a chance to shine but on the other side of the coin if you can’t do well at the nickel spot, how good can we be at the starting spot? Even if Green and Hood do very well this season, there still is a glaring hole at the nickel position and the Cardinals, definitely need to draft a corner in this draft. 

Whether Antrel makes the switch to free safety or not there defiantly still is a need at both safety positions. The safety tandem of Rolle and Wilson should bring a smile to any Cardinal fan and could possibly by the best safety duo in the NFL. However, when you look at depth in both of these positions, you have to worry. Third year player Aaron Francisco looks to be the only depth behind both positions which will definitely mean they will look at the safety position in the draft   

 Bertrand Berry will turn 33-years old in August and has suffered season-ending injuries for the last three years. Chike Okeafor will turn 32 in March and finished the year on injured reserve. Recently signed ex-Titan Travis Laboy will replace Calvin Pace, signed by the New York Jets, at the RDE/OLB tweener position. However another young capable pass rusher is needed and this team will have to look for the future and draft a defensive end pretty high in this draft.  

 A powerful offensive lineman who can play either tackle or guard position is needed to backup the starters. Again this team needs to surround there starters with great quality of depth.