D-
Arizona Cardinals
A costly weekend of dealing drags the Cardinals to a D-.
by Stan93 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 44 picks
· 4 steals
· 31 reaches
Nobody had Shaun Dolac this high, and it is not close. The Cardinals reached 156 spots to get him at the 159th pick.
The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. Smith falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. They left with quarterback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
In the end, a class the front office will want to grow past quickly.
Pick-by-Pick
They paid a round early for JT Tuimoloau in the 36th overall pick, more than the board wanted. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A wild overpay on Donovan Ezeiruaku in Round 2, Pick 6, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They liked Alfred Collins enough to skip the value, taking him in pick No. 47. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They talked themselves into Donovan Jackson at slot 65, and the board did not agree. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
No drama and no debate, Elijah Arroyo went about where he belonged in pick 78. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
No edge and no loss on Carson Schwesinger in the 81st pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A need, and now a little less of one.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Antwaun Powell-Ryland in the Round 3 slot, miles early. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They paid sticker price for Tez Johnson in slot 86, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Ozzy Trapilo in the 89th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jordan Phillips well ahead of where he belonged. It fills a real need, too.
Jackson Slater at pick No. 94 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Shemar Turner in pick 97 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They reached a country mile for O'Donnell Fortune at the 104th pick, and the board is aghast. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Darius Alexander in Round 4, Pick 5 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Fair-plus on Jaylin Noel, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They took Hollin Pierce at par in slot 113, which is nothing to complain about. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take David Walker this early at the 116th pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
The board had Will Howard higher than No. 117, and the quarterback fell to them anyway. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A slide stopped in pick 118, with Lathan Ransom worth more than the price. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A conviction pick on Mello Dotson at pick No. 125 that the board grades a round light. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jabbar Muhammad. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
A real head-scratcher, Ty Robinson in Round 4, Pick 30 is miles ahead of his ranking. The roster fit checks out.
Cody Simon in slot 132 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jack Nelson at No. 133 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Circle this one: Brashard Smith at the 135th pick is a fall that decides a draft. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Value said wait; Ahmed Hassanein in the 138th overall pick says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Fadil Diggs at pick No. 139 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They paid up for Nick Nash at Round 5, Pick 1 when waiting would have done the job. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Raheim Sanders at pick 142 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Chase Lundt at the Round 5 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on Jonah Monheim at pick 145, value and slot in agreement. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A big swing on Cam Jackson at the Round 5 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached into another round for Tyler Cooper, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Trey Zuhn III at the 153rd overall 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.
Oronde Gadsden II slid further than he should have, and Round 5, Pick 15 is lovely value for the tight end. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They went early on RJ Harvey in the 155th pick, and the value did not follow. A need, and now a little less of one.
Shaun Dolac at pick No. 159 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Kyle Williams in slot 161, miles early. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A big swing on Miles Frazier at the 163rd overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They talked themselves into Carson Vinson at pick No. 164, and the board did not agree. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A wild overpay on Cobee Bryant in No. 165, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Tosh Baker in Round 5, Pick 29 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They jumped the gun on Dont'e Thornton Jr., taking him earlier than his grade liked. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Shilo Sanders at slot 175 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.