B+
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B+.
by Slim ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 112 picks
· 30 steals
· 64 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: R.J. Oben, 139 picks early at Round 6, Pick 31. They moved the roster forward and banked a B+ for it.
Getting Judkins where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. The imported veterans give this class a floor the draft picks could not on their own.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with quarterback chief among the fixes.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
Abdul Carter in pick 8 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
In No. 12 they get a building block for the line. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In pick No. 14 they get a quarterback's worst nightmare at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the 23rd pick they get a pocket-collapsing interior rusher at fair value. A real need, handled.
In the 27th overall pick they get a bendy edge with upside at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
JT Tuimoloau at Round 2, Pick 1 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Tyler Booker at Round 2, Pick 2 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Trey Amos at pick 35 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Tre Harris is a better player than the Round 2 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Landon Jackson at pick No. 42 is money in the bank, a edge rusher taken below his worth. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A conviction pick on Tyleik Williams at the 44th overall pick that the board grades a round light. It fills a real need, too.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Shemar Stewart. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Nick Emmanwori in No. 47 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A big swing on Donovan Ezeiruaku at slot 51, well ahead of any board in the building. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A premium they did not need to pay, Deone Walker a notch or two before his time. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They paid sticker price for Grey Zabel in Round 2, Pick 26, and that is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Circle this one: Jalon Walker at the 62nd overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
You do not let a tight end like Tyler Warren reach pick No. 67 and blink. They did not. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Dylan Fairchild at No. 70. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They reached into another round for Luke Kandra, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A wild overpay on Jack Nelson in pick 74, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Tez Johnson this early at the 75th pick. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Luther Burden III at No. 76 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Darien Porter in pick 78 is fair value, right on his grade. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
No edge and no loss on Aeneas Peebles in pick No. 80; it is a wash and a sensible one. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Good price on Omarr Norman-Lott in slot 81, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. The roster fit checks out.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Antwaun Powell-Ryland in Round 3, Pick 18, miles early. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A real head-scratcher, Hollin Pierce in the 83rd overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They took Jermari Harris at par in the Round 3 slot, which is nothing to complain about. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Xavier Watts at the 92nd pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
They liked Cam Skattebo enough to skip the value, taking him in the 94th pick. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Kyle McCord at Round 3, Pick 35 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They let Charles Grant come to them and pounced at No. 101. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Taking Colston Loveland in the Round 4 slot is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Ozzy Trapilo in pick 103 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
David Walker at the 105th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Carson Schwesinger at slot 107 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick No. 108 is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Savion Williams at No. 111 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the wide receiver. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Kyren Lacy at Round 4, Pick 12 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Ty Robinson. A need, and now a little less of one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Davin Vann well ahead of where he belonged. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A reach for Rylie Mills in the 119th pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Jake Majors at slot 120 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Somehow Jordan James was still sitting there in the Round 4 slot, and they pounced on premier running back value. It fills a real need, too.
The board fumbled Andrew Mukuba all the way to the 122nd overall pick, and they scooped it up. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Demetrius Knight Jr. in pick 123, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Steal is underselling it; Malachi Moore at the 124th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Ajani Cornelius in the 125th overall pick is a gift, value that borders on unfair. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They went early on Hayden Conner in pick No. 126, and the value did not follow. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They will replay Mason Taylor at the Round 4 slot for years; that is how good the value is. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Azareye'h Thomas in slot 128 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
They reached a country mile for Connor Colby at No. 130, and the board is aghast. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board had cheaper options than Earnest Greene III at Round 4, Pick 30, and it noticed. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They talked themselves into Jaeden Roberts at the Round 4 slot, and the board did not agree. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
DeMonte Capehart in pick No. 136 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
JJ Pegues in slot 137 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They robbed the room for TreVeyon Henderson here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Trey Moore in pick 139 says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
By-the-book stuff, Vernon Broughton at Round 5, Pick 3 squarely in line with his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
A real head-scratcher, Tyreak Sapp in the 141st pick is miles ahead of his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Antwane Wells Jr. this early at No. 144. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Fair-plus on Pat Bryant, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Chase Lundt in slot 146 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They paid up for Joshua Gray at the 151st pick when waiting would have done the job. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They barely believed it either: Kevin Winston Jr. still on the board at the Round 5 slot. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Brady Cook. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They reached a country mile for Dayon Hayes at pick No. 161, and the board is aghast. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They will replay Jabbar Muhammad at the 164th overall pick for years; that is how good the value is. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They jumped the gun on Addison West, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Seth McLaughlin at slot 167 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A big swing on Jonah Monheim at pick 169, well ahead of any board in the building. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Nazir Stackhouse at No. 171 is a conviction pick that outran the value. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Shemar Turner slid further than he should have, and the 172nd pick is lovely value for the interior defensive lineman. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the 176th overall pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A reach on Theo Wease Jr. in Round 6, Pick 2; the board had better options right there. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Sam Brown at pick No. 180 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Miles Frazier well ahead of where he belonged. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They robbed the room for Chris Paul Jr. here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Ty Hamilton at the 184th overall pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The roster fit checks out.
Thor Griffith at slot 185 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Jasheen Davis in No. 188 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.
A linebacker of that caliber at pick 189 is the definition of value, full stop. It fills a real need, too.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Sebastian Castro in the 190th pick, plain and simple. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
They paid a round early for DJ Campbell in Round 6, Pick 17, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Somehow Kobe King was still sitting there in pick No. 194, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They talked themselves into Nick Nash at slot 196, and the board did not agree. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Value said wait; Roc Taylor in the 197th overall pick says they were not listening. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Kaden Prather in Round 6, Pick 23 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They barely believed it either: Quinshon Judkins still on the board at the 199th pick. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
No drama and no debate, Jared Wilson went about where he belonged in No. 201. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jason Marshall Jr. at pick No. 202 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Rod Moore at the Round 6 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
They reached into another round for R.J. Oben, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Tim Smith in Round 6, Pick 35, miles early. The roster fit checks out.
They paid a round early for Jahvaree Ritzie in pick No. 214, more than the board wanted. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A wild overpay on Jamaree Caldwell in the Round 6 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Paris Shand at the 219th pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A wild overpay on Jalen Travis in the 221st overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Value said wait; PJ Williams in pick 223 says they were not listening. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They reached into another round for J.C. Davis, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They talked themselves into Xavier Truss at No. 226, and the board did not agree. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Cooper Mays. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Micah Morris at the 228th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A real head-scratcher, Javontez Spraggins in slot 229 is miles ahead of his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Bryan Felter at pick No. 235 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Trey Wedig at Round 7, Pick 20 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Marcus Dumervil well ahead of where he belonged. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A big swing on Jalen Rivers at No. 239, well ahead of any board in the building. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They reached a country mile for Drew Kendall at pick 241, and the board is aghast. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Zeke Correll in No. 245 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.
Turner Corcoran in pick 256 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.