A-
Arizona Cardinals
Best value of the weekend goes to the Cardinals for Taaffe: A-.
by Tomcat88 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 4 steals
· 0 reaches
The trade table was a mismatch, and the Cardinals were on the right end of it, hauling in a fortune in surplus value.
Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Taaffe. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. Jordyn Brooks gives the group a proven body among the projects.
Quarterback is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
In the end it comes back to Olaivavega Ioane, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
A reasonable price with a little left over, Arvell Reese in slot 11. The roster fit checks out.
In No. 30 they get protection for the quarterback, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Chris Johnson in the 34th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Blake Miller in pick 49 lands just on the right side of the ledger. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Steal is underselling it; Michael Taaffe at the Round 3 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Kaleb Proctor slid further than he should have, and Round 5, Pick 3 is lovely value for the interior defensive lineman. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Taylen Green at Round 6, Pick 2 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Eric McAlister in the 217th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.