The draft, thank goodness, is close.

There are many who love the run-up to the draft each year. I'm not really one of them. Let me know who the new Cardinals will be and we'll go from there. It's a little different when this franchise was picking top 10, but 29th (or 30th, we'll get to that in a second)? There's just so much that can happen that changes the dynamic whenever it is the Cards actually make a pick. Still, I wanted to put out some thoughts as we head into the 2016 selection process.

-- I won't be surprised if the Cardinals trade down Thursday night. Yes, Steve Keim said it'll be harder for picks to make the team, but if they can spin the late first-rounder into an early second-rounder and maybe an early fourth, those guys are far enough up the food chain to be near-locks. So much of it has to do with who is available when the Cards are on the clock. That seems obvious but it's also true. You figure the quarterbacks available -- and teams trying to move up to get one -- would influence that the most.

-- The Cardinals (without a trade) will pick the 29th player but the NFL is still listing them with the 30th pick. No. 29 was supposed to be the Patriots, who lost it in DeflateGate, so if you are curious to know why the league's draft tracker has a difference, that's it.

-- If I had to guess, I'd say the Cardinals do draft a QB at some point but it'll be Saturday.

-- It's hard to argue with those who think the Cards would take center Ryan Kelly in the first round if he's there. I don't think he will be. I think it'll most likely be defense -- a cornerback if one is there, a defensive lineman if not. Wouldn't rule out linebacker/pass rusher, but I'd lean toward an up-front guy.

-- I don't do mock drafts these days -- I know, a crushing disappointment -- but we do have a mock coming from the Cardinals, straight from the mind of safety Tony Jefferson. He has the Cards taking Clemson safety-or-corner T.J. Green. Maybe Jefferson eventually follows in the footsteps of one-time Cardinals defensive back Corey Chavous, who was a draft guru even when he was playing and continues working in that role these days.

(Cohort Kyle Odegard will have a full mock draft roundup of all the picks made across the internet for the Cardinals tomorrow.)

-- The Cardinals currently have 73 players on the roster, so room for 17 right now. With six draft picks, that means 11 undrafted free agents. I think there will be more than 11 undrafted rookies signed, so I expect some cuts, and that doesn't include the possibility of adding picks.

Even if the Cards don't make a pick tomorrow, it'll be an interesting night all the way around. See you then.