B+
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals worked the phones like thieves and earned a B+.
by Stan93 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 137 picks
· 29 steals
· 64 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with Cody Schrader at the 117th pick, a reach of 96 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B+.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. That is a running back worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.
The imported veterans give this class a floor the draft picks could not on their own. Job largely done: quarterback settled and 8 of 8 of the wish list covered.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 1 they get a mismatch in the passing game. A real need, handled.
In the Round 1 slot they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 14th overall pick they get a problem off the edge at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the 15th pick they get a sticky cover corner. Need was not the driver here.
In No. 16 they get a load in the middle at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
They paid sticker price for Taliese Fuaga in pick 17, and that is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
In the 18th overall pick they get a blindside protector, though they paid up to get him. The biggest hole, addressed.
In pick No. 20 they get an island corner. More want than need.
They reached into another round for Payton Wilson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A need, and now a little less of one.
In No. 22 they get a lockdown presence outside, though the board says they badly overpaid.
In pick 23 they get an enforcer at safety, a steep price for the projection. Need was not the driver here.
In the Round 1 slot they get a security blanket over the middle, though the board says they badly overpaid. A real need, handled.
In Round 1, Pick 25 they get a cornerstone up front. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the 26th pick they get a building block for the line, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In pick 27 they get a go-to option on the outside at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the 28th pick they get a matchup problem out wide, even if it was a touch early. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They liked Ricky Pearsall enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 29. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
In the Round 1 slot they get a home-run threat at receiver, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 31st overall pick they get a difference-maker at receiver, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In pick No. 32 they get a weapon on the perimeter, reach and all. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They went early on Xavier Worthy in Round 2, Pick 1, and the value did not follow. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jaylen Wright in slot 34, miles early. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A straight-up fair deal on Braden Fiske at pick 35, value and slot in agreement. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Chop Robinson at the Round 2 slot. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A big swing on T'Vondre Sweat at the 39th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A quiet steal in slot 40: Nate Wiggins for less than the market said. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
A conviction pick on Chris Braswell at Round 2, Pick 9 that the board grades a round light. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Marshawn Kneeland in pick No. 42 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Michael Hall Jr.. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Tyler Guyton at No. 47 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They robbed the room for Kool-Aid McKinstry here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
The board had Jordan Morgan higher than pick No. 50, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at the Round 2 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Edgerrin Cooper at No. 52 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They read the board right and Jonathon Brooks was the payoff at the 54th pick. It fills a real need, too.
Value with a capital V on Tyler Nubin in the 57th overall pick, a genuine coup. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Ja'Tavion Sanders in Round 2, Pick 26 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Junior Colson is a better player than pick 59 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They did well to land Christian Haynes in the 60th pick, just ahead of his grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They took Cooper Beebe at par in slot 61, which is nothing to complain about. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Ja'Lynn Polk. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Javon Bullard in the 65th overall pick. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Nice patience on Adisa Isaac, who had no business lasting to pick No. 66. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They let Zach Frazier come to them and pounced at Round 3, Pick 3. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A slide stopped in the Round 3 slot, with Kamari Lassiter worth more than the price. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jaden Hicks in No. 69. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Nothing to complain about; Kiran Amegadjie went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A tidy little value on Austin Booker in the Round 3 slot, a step better than break-even. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Blake Fisher in the 72nd pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
No edge and no loss on Javon Baker in No. 74; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Andru Phillips in pick No. 77 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
By-the-book stuff, Malik Washington at the 78th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Bralen Trice at pick 79 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No drama and no debate, Patrick Paul went about where he belonged in slot 80. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Dominick Puni in pick No. 82 is fair value, right on his grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Kris Abrams-Draine at No. 86 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
DJ James at slot 90 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
A real head-scratcher, Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in Round 3, Pick 32 is miles ahead of his ranking. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
They talked themselves into Malik Mustapha at the 96th overall pick, and the board did not agree. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Value said wait; Decamerion Richardson in the 98th pick says they were not listening. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Good price on MarShawn Lloyd in the Round 3 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Cam Hart in pick 100 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
They took Maason Smith at par in slot 101, which is nothing to complain about. The roster fit checks out.
A straight-up fair deal on Mekhi Wingo at the 102nd overall pick, value and slot in agreement. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
DeWayne Carter in pick No. 103 is fair value, right on his grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
The board had cheaper options than Mohamed Kamara at Round 4, Pick 4, and it noticed. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
No drama and no debate, Brandon Coleman went about where he belonged in pick 105. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
No edge and no loss on Gabriel Murphy in the Round 4 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They reached a country mile for Tykee Smith at the 107th pick, and the board is aghast. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
They left a pile of value on the table to take AJ Barner this early at No. 108. A need, and now a little less of one.
By-the-book stuff, Zak Zinter at pick No. 109 squarely in line with his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Brenden Rice at the Round 4 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A reach on Jacob Cowing in No. 112; the board had better options right there. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Anthony Gould at slot 114 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Cody Schrader in the 117th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Isaac Guerendo well ahead of where he belonged. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Brennan Jackson at the 122nd overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jalyx Hunt. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid sticker price for Leonard Taylor III in pick 129, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A wild overpay on Myles Cole in No. 130, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Braiden McGregor at the Round 4 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Cedric Johnson at pick No. 137 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Somehow Cedric Gray was still sitting there in Round 5, Pick 2, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Tommy Eichenberg in the 139th pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Nehemiah Pritchett in the 140th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
They took Ainias Smith at par in slot 141, which is nothing to complain about. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. slid further than he should have, and pick No. 142 is lovely value for the wide receiver. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Jordan Jefferson at No. 143 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A real head-scratcher, McKinnley Jackson in pick 146 is miles ahead of his ranking. The roster fit checks out.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Gabe Hall in the 150th overall pick, miles early. It fills a real need, too.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Nelson Ceaser. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jordan Travis well ahead of where he belonged. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
You do not let a running back like Bucky Irving reach Round 5, Pick 21 and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Steal is underselling it; Caedan Wallace at slot 158 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jamari Thrash at Round 5, Pick 24 is the proof. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Josh Newton slipping to pick No. 162 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Fair-plus on Dallin Holker, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A tidy bit of business in the Round 5 slot, where Mason McCormick graded well above the range. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Ty'Ron Hopper at the 167th overall pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Value said wait; Nathaniel Watson in pick 168 says they were not listening. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A wild overpay on Jaden Crumedy in the 169th pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It fills a real need, too.
Edefuan Ulofoshio at slot 170 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board had Jordan Magee higher than pick 173, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. The roster fit checks out.
Marist Liufau in slot 175 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid up for Khristian Boyd at pick No. 176 when waiting would have done the job. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Justin Eboigbe at the 177th overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Zion Tupuola-Fetui at No. 179 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A cornerback of that caliber at the 180th pick is the definition of value, full stop. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
By-the-book stuff, Sione Vaki at Round 6, Pick 6 squarely in line with his ranking. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
They reached a country mile for Brevyn Spann-Ford at the Round 6 slot, and the board is aghast. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They paid a round early for Delmar Glaze in No. 183, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A premium they did not need to pay, Nathan Thomas a notch or two before his time. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They talked themselves into Layden Robinson at the 186th pick, and the board did not agree. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A reach for Grayson Murphy in pick No. 187; a little patience would have been rewarded. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Justin Rogers at slot 188 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Eric Watts at Round 6, Pick 14 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Tahj Washington is a better player than the 190th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint in the Round 6 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Javion Cohen at No. 192 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They reached into another round for Jacob Monk, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
JD Bertrand in pick 197 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A need, and now a little less of one.
Kamal Hadden at pick No. 198 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
A market-rate edge rusher, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Javontae Jean-Baptiste. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A big swing on Logan Lee at Round 6, Pick 25, well ahead of any board in the building. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Myles Murphy this early at the Round 6 slot. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Trey Knox well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A quiet steal in Round 7, Pick 2: Tanner McLachlan for less than the market said. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Kimani Vidal at slot 225. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A wild overpay on Jaylon Carlies in the 226th pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
They paid sticker price for Tarheeb Still in pick No. 231, and that is fine. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Value with a capital V on Darius Muasau in pick 234, a genuine coup. A need, and now a little less of one.
They jumped the gun on Michael Barrett, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jackson Sirmon in the Round 7 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. The roster fit checks out.
A real head-scratcher, Andrew Raym in the 245th overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They paid a round early for Matthew Jones in pick No. 251, more than the board wanted. 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 Andrew Coker. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Keilan Robinson at the Round 7 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.