Cardinals take OT Jones in third round to protect Murray

The Arizona Cardinals used their third-round pick to add a protector for young franchise quarterback Kyler Murray.

The Cardinals took offensive tackle Josh Jones with the No. 72 overall selection on Friday night and he’ll likely have the opportunity to earn immediate playing time at right tackle next season. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Jones played at Houston and many draft projections had him being picked sooner.

Murray was sacked 48 times last season and the Cardinals would like to find a way to keep him upright more often in 2020. Jones will likely compete for playing time at right tackle with returners Justin Murray and Marcus Gilbert. Justin Murray was the surprise starter for most of last season — and played fairly well — after Gilbert suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.

Jones’ selection filled an obvious need for the franchise. The Cardinals signed left tackle D.J. Humphries to a long-term deal during the offseason but were searching for a potential upgrade on the right side.

Jones will be the Cardinals’ only pick on Friday unless they make a trade. Arizona didn’t have a second-round pick for a good reason. They sent it to the Houston Texans in March as part of the widely praised trade that brought elite receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the desert.

Arizona helped its defense during Thursday’s first round, grabbing the versatile Isaiah Simmons, who surprisingly slid to the No. 8 selection. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Simmons played a variety of positions during a stellar college career at Clemson and could help the Cardinals at both linebacker and safety next season.