B+
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals fleeced the room on the phones and earned a B+.
by ryknyse ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 6 steals
· 5 reaches
There is conviction, and then there is this. The Cardinals took Drew Allar a full 73 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. It nets out to a B+, which feels about right.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped running back, which is a strange place to end up. The Hunter pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 29 they get a cornerstone up front, even if it was a touch early. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Nice patience on Kenyon Sadiq, who had no business lasting to the 34th overall pick. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Gennings Dunker at Round 2, Pick 8 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Derrick Moore in pick 51 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A slide stopped in pick No. 65, with Lee Hunter worth more than the price. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jake Slaughter at the Round 3 slot is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Jacob Rodriguez at the Round 3 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Drew Allar in Round 3, Pick 20 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Bryce Lance in the 104th overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Caden Curry at slot 109 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A market-rate interior defensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Chris McClellan. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
The board had Louis Moore higher than pick 183, and the safety fell to them anyway. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Value with a capital V on Josh Cameron in the 200th pick, a genuine coup. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Kobe Baynes in pick No. 201 lands just on the right side of the ledger. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Good price on Toriano Pride Jr. in pick 217, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.