C+
Arizona Cardinals
Flashes of a plan, unevenly run, for the Cardinals: C+.
by ? ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 5 picks
· 0 steals
· 4 reaches
The Cardinals went off the board in a big way for Josh Conerly Jr., 36 picks early. Conviction is one thing; this is another. A weekend of give and take that grades a C+.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Quarterback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
So much rides on Josh Conerly Jr. that the real verdict is a season or two away.
Pick-by-Pick
They talked themselves into Josh Conerly Jr. at the Round 1 slot, and the board did not agree. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A wild overpay on Carson Beck in the 49th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They jumped the gun on Aeneas Peebles, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A straight-up fair deal on Karene Reid at the 119th pick, value and slot in agreement. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Antonio Williams at pick No. 154 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.