D
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals lost the trade table, and the D tells the story.
by Stan93 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 48 picks
· 16 steals
· 27 reaches
There is reaching, and then there is Shaun Dolac at slot 165. The Cardinals jumped the board by 127 and dared it to prove them wrong.
The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. The Ransom steal is the beam this whole class leans on. They went 8 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
They chose more darts over a bigger single swing.
In the end, a class the front office will want to grow past quickly.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 27 they get juice off the edge, though the board says they badly overpaid. The biggest hole, addressed.
A reach on Azareye'h Thomas in pick 47; the board had better options right there. A minor itch, scratched.
A straight-up fair deal on Alfred Collins at the Round 2 slot, value and slot in agreement. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They reached a country mile for Antwaun Powell-Ryland at pick No. 67, and the board is aghast. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Tate Ratledge at No. 78 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A wild overpay on Hollin Pierce in the 81st overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A slide stopped in the 87th overall pick, with Jayden Higgins worth more than the price. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They read the board right and Omarr Norman-Lott was the payoff at No. 88. A need, and now a little less of one.
Elijah Arroyo slipping to slot 97 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Tez Johnson slid further than he should have, and the 105th pick is lovely value for the wide receiver. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Darius Alexander at pick 107 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Rylie Mills in pick No. 109, miles early. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They reached into another round for Chase Lundt, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A real head-scratcher, Oluwafemi Oladejo in Round 4, Pick 12 is miles ahead of his ranking. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Taking Dylan Fairchild in the 114th pick is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Vernon Broughton at Round 4, Pick 16 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The roster fit checks out.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Carson Schwesinger in the 121st overall pick, plain and simple. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Kevin Jennings in pick No. 123 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
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.
Jaylin Noel in slot 126 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Circle this one: Malachi Moore at No. 135 is a fall that decides a draft. It adds depth where they could use a little.
The board had cheaper options than Pat Bryant at the Round 5 slot, and it noticed. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Cam Skattebo in slot 139 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It fills a real need, too.
Jackson Slater in the Round 5 slot is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
By-the-book stuff, Nick Nash at the 148th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A tidy bit of business in Round 5, Pick 14, where Jay Higgins graded well above the range. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They robbed the room for Lathan Ransom here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Value with a capital V on Oronde Gadsden II in pick No. 157, a genuine coup. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Jahvaree Ritzie at pick 160 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Cody Simon in the 161st pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Addison West in slot 162 says they were not listening. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They talked themselves into Jack Kiser at the Round 5 slot, and the board did not agree. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Shaun Dolac this early at No. 165. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board fumbled Jonah Monheim all the way to the 166th pick, and they scooped it up. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Dont'e Thornton Jr. at the 168th overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. 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 Ricky White III. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A big swing on Tosh Baker at pick No. 170, well ahead of any board in the building. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jalen Travis at Round 5, Pick 35 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Kyle Williams in slot 173 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
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.
Jonas Sanker in pick No. 175 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
A real head-scratcher, Tonka Hemingway in pick 179 is miles ahead of his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
No edge and no loss on Connor Colby in the 181st pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A big swing on Maxen Hook at the 186th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Nice patience on Simeon Barrow Jr., who had no business lasting to Round 6, Pick 13. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Value said wait; Ty Hamilton in No. 189 says they were not listening. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached into another round for Theo Wease Jr., and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
You do not let a running back like RJ Harvey reach the 195th pick and blink. They did not. The roster fit checks out.