TEMPE, Ariz. -- Over just a few days in March, the Arizona Cardinals changed their entire April draft strategy.

When they traded for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and signed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and linebackers Devon Kennard and De'Vondre Campbell in free agency, the Cardinals freed themselves up to take the best player available when they pick at No. 8 on April 23.

"I think when you look at where the roster sits as opposed to last year, [general manager] Steve [Keim] and his guys did a tremendous job of really filling needs where we feel like we can line up today and be a much improved football team personnel-wise than where we sat last year at this time," coach Kliff Kingsbury said.

"So, it does set a draft up to where we feel like we're free to take the best available pick that comes at that No. 8 spot, and that's a tribute to Steve and the job he did this offseason."

It's widely expected that quarterbacks will go off the board at No. 1 to the Cincinnati Bengals, No. 5 to the Miami Dolphins and No. 6 to the Los Angeles Chargers. It's also widely expected that the Washington Redskins will draft pass-rusher Chase Young at No. 2 and Detroit will take cornerback Jeff Okudah at No. 3, barring a trade.

That would leave the Cardinals essentially battling it out with the New York Giants at No. 4 and the Carolina Panthers at No. 7 for about eight players -- all of whom are franchise-type guys who can make an impact with the Cardinals for the foreseeable future.

The list is wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw, outside linebacker Isaiah Simmons, and offensive tackles Jedrick Wills Jr., Andrew Thomas and Tristan Wirfs.

In ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper's most recent two-round mock draft, he projected the Giants to take Simmons at No. 4 and the Panthers to select Brown at No. 7.

That would give the Cardinals the choice of any of the top receivers and offensive linemen, as well as Kinlaw.

Kingsbury recently said the team feels "really good" about Arizona's situation at right tackle after re-signing Marcus Gilbert, the presumptive starter in 2019 who missed the entire season with a torn ACL. Kingsbury said Gilbert was the Cards' best offensive lineman before his injury. Arizona also re-signed Justin Murray to be Gilbert's backup. Murray, who was signed the Tuesday before Week 1, played in 14 of 16 games, starting 12.

After not finding much success with many of his first-round picks since taking over as general manager in 2013, Keim is in position to make a successful pick this year that won't require taking as much of a risk as in the past.