B+
Arizona Cardinals
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Cardinals a B+.
by Stan93 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 100 picks
· 33 steals
· 61 reaches
There is conviction, and then there is this. The Cardinals took Tim Smith a full 200 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B+.
Fannin Jr. at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. The phones were where this weekend was really won. The imported veterans give this class a floor the draft picks could not on their own.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
James Pearce Jr. in Round 1, Pick 17 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Tre Harris at No. 19 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
In pick 20 they get a double-digit-sack hope, though they paid up to get him. The biggest hole, addressed.
In pick No. 22 they get a premier pass rusher, reach and all. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They reached into another round for JT Tuimoloau, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
In the Round 1 slot they get a plug-and-play piece up front. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In No. 28 they get a building block for the line, even if it was a touch early. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 29th overall pick they get a load in the middle, though the board says they badly overpaid. A clean fit for the roster.
In the 30th pick they get a security blanket over the middle at a price that makes it sweeter. A real need, handled.
Jihaad Campbell at the Round 2 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
The board fumbled Nick Emmanwori all the way to Round 2, Pick 5, and they scooped it up. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They reached a country mile for Maxwell Hairston at pick No. 38, and the board is aghast. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick 42 is the definition of value, full stop. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They did well to land Tyleik Williams in slot 43, just ahead of his grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
A reach on Alfred Collins in pick No. 44; the board had better options right there. It fills a real need, too.
Will Howard in the Round 2 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Grey Zabel slid further than he should have, and the 46th pick is lovely value for the offensive lineman. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Tate Ratledge in slot 47 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Ozzy Trapilo. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Donovan Jackson well ahead of where he belonged. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland at No. 53 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Azareye'h Thomas at Round 2, Pick 22 is a conviction pick that outran the value. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Xavier Watts at the Round 2 slot is the proof. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Nice patience on Aireontae Ersery, who had no business lasting to pick 60. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A real head-scratcher, Dylan Fairchild in pick No. 62 is miles ahead of his ranking. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A wild overpay on Aeneas Peebles in No. 64, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The roster fit checks out.
Somehow Jalon Walker was still sitting there in Round 3, Pick 1, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Marcus Mbow at the 66th overall pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Luke Kandra at slot 67 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Hollin Pierce at the 68th pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
T.J. Sanders in Round 3, Pick 5 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Trey Amos in pick No. 70 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Ashton Gillotte in the 72nd pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A tidy bit of business in No. 74, where Elic Ayomanor graded well above the range. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Demetrius Knight Jr. at slot 75 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Nothing to complain about; Andrew Mukuba went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
The board had cheaper options than Carson Schwesinger at the Round 3 slot, and it noticed. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Mello Dotson in pick 79 says they were not listening. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Jabbar Muhammad this early at pick No. 80. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
They jumped the gun on Tez Johnson, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Kyle Kennard in Round 3, Pick 18 lands just on the right side of the ledger. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They talked themselves into Jake Majors at pick 84, and the board did not agree. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A big swing on Logan Brown at No. 85, well ahead of any board in the building. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They barely believed it either: Omarion Hampton still on the board at the Round 3 slot. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They paid a round early for Cam Skattebo in the 89th overall pick, more than the board wanted. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid up for Charles Grant at the 90th pick when waiting would have done the job. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
You do not let a tight end like Colston Loveland reach Round 3, Pick 27 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A top-tier wide receiver at a bargain, Jack Bech in pick No. 92, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Isaiah Bond at No. 94 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They will replay Omarr Norman-Lott at slot 96 for years; that is how good the value is. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Earnest Greene III in the Round 3 slot, miles early. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They reached a country mile for Rylie Mills at the 101st overall pick, and the board is aghast. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A conviction pick on Anthony Belton at pick 102 that the board grades a round light. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
The board had Malachi Moore higher than the 103rd pick, and the safety fell to them anyway. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Raheim Sanders in slot 104 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
Value with a capital V on Chris Paul Jr. in No. 105, a genuine coup. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Cody Simon this early at pick No. 106. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Taking Elijah Arroyo in the 109th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Willie Lampkin well ahead of where he belonged. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Cobee Bryant in the 111th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
David Walker in pick 112 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A wild overpay on Chase Lundt in Round 4, Pick 13, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Sai'vion Jones at the 116th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They talked themselves into Ahmed Hassanein at pick 117, and the board did not agree. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jackson Slater at pick No. 120 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Value said wait; Jonah Monheim in slot 121 says they were not listening. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Harold Fannin Jr. at Round 4, Pick 22 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It fills a real need, too.
Savion Williams in the Round 4 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They robbed the room for Jaylin Noel here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Tai Felton at No. 132 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Cam Jackson in Round 4, Pick 37, miles early. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They reached into another round for Ty Robinson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Steal is underselling it; Lathan Ransom at No. 140 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Kyren Lacy at slot 143 is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
By-the-book stuff, Pat Bryant at the 144th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A big swing on Ricky White III at the 145th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Kyle Williams. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Carson Vinson at the Round 5 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Miles Frazier at the 150th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached a country mile for Tim Smith at Round 5, Pick 13, and the board is aghast. The roster fit checks out.
Value said wait; Shaun Dolac in pick 153 says they were not listening. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jacob Parrish well ahead of where he belonged. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Connor Colby in No. 157 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Tyler Cooper at pick No. 158 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Jalen Travis at the Round 5 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Tosh Baker this early at slot 166. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jonas Sanker in No. 169, miles early. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
A real head-scratcher, Garrett Dellinger in the 170th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They reached into another round for Oluwafemi Oladejo, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A premium they did not need to pay, Dont'e Thornton Jr. a notch or two before his time. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They went early on Antwane Wells Jr. in the 180th overall pick, and the value did not follow. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Shilo Sanders in the Round 6 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A wild overpay on Jahvaree Ritzie in slot 183, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The roster fit checks out.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jack Kiser. A need, and now a little less of one.
Circle this one: RJ Harvey at the Round 6 slot is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A top-tier tight end at a bargain, Oronde Gadsden II in Round 6, Pick 15, plain and simple. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Taking Jay Higgins in No. 198 is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Tonka Hemingway at slot 199 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It fills a real need, too.
Steal is underselling it; Dorian Strong at pick No. 211 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
A quiet steal in the 222nd overall pick: Akili Arnold for less than the market said. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.