B+
Arizona Cardinals
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Cardinals a B+.
by Stan93 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 121 picks
· 26 steals
· 68 reaches
Some picks age like wine; Jordan Jefferson at pick No. 42 will need to, sitting 130 spots clear of his grade.
The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. The McMillan value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 1 they get a security blanket over the middle. A real need, handled.
In the Round 1 slot they get a problem off the edge, reach and all. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 10th overall pick they get a bendy edge with upside at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In pick 11 they get a load in the middle. A clean fit for the roster.
In the 12th pick they get an island corner at fair value. More want than need.
They paid up for Cooper DeJean at slot 13 when waiting would have done the job. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
The board had cheaper options than Chop Robinson at the 14th pick, and it noticed. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
In No. 17 they get a pocket-collapsing interior rusher.
In Round 1, Pick 18 they get a building block for the line at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
In the Round 1 slot they get an anchor for the offensive line at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
In pick 22 they get a disruptive interior force, even if it was a touch early. A clean fit for the roster.
In slot 23 they get the heartbeat of the defense, though they paid up to get him. A real need, handled.
In the 24th overall pick they get a potential shutdown corner, a steep price for the projection. Need was not the driver here.
In pick No. 25 they get a downhill hitter at safety, though the board says they badly overpaid. More want than need.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Cade Stover. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
In pick 28 they get a home-run threat at receiver. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In slot 29 they get a No. 1 receiver, even if it was a touch early. The biggest hole, addressed.
A reach on Ricky Pearsall in pick No. 30; the board had better options right there. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A reach for Keon Coleman in the Round 1 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
In Round 1, Pick 32 they get a go-to option on the outside, though the board says they badly overpaid. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A real head-scratcher, Jaylen Wright in the 33rd pick is miles ahead of his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A big swing on Michael Hall Jr. at No. 34, well ahead of any board in the building. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Marshawn Kneeland well ahead of where he belonged. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Value with a capital V on J.J. McCarthy in the 36th pick, a genuine coup. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Terrion Arnold slipping to No. 37 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Maason Smith in the Round 2 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They talked themselves into Mekhi Wingo at Round 2, Pick 7, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Mohamed Kamara this early at the 40th overall pick. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
DeWayne Carter at pick 41 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.
They reached into another round for Jordan Jefferson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The roster fit checks out.
Cole Bishop at the Round 2 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 44 with a little surplus value in Ennis Rakestraw Jr.. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
They reached a country mile for Kris Abrams-Draine at the 45th overall pick, and the board is aghast. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Ja'Tavion Sanders at pick 46 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Patrick Paul at No. 47 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Xavier Legette in Round 2, Pick 16 is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Taking Nate Wiggins in the 49th pick is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
A quiet steal in slot 59: Junior Colson for less than the market said. A need, and now a little less of one.
A safety of that caliber at Round 2, Pick 29 is the definition of value, full stop. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Xavier Worthy in No. 65 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
The board fumbled Edgerrin Cooper all the way to slot 66, and they scooped it up. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Kris Jenkins in the 67th overall pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Christian Haynes at the Round 3 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Cooper Beebe in pick No. 69 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They did well to land Ja'Lynn Polk in pick 70, just ahead of his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They took Javon Baker at par in the 71st pick, which is nothing to complain about. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
This one needs a full-page explanation: MarShawn Lloyd in slot 75, miles early. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Isaac Guerendo at pick 77 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The roster fit checks out.
Value said wait; Jordan Travis in No. 78 says they were not listening. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They read the board right and Austin Booker was the payoff at Round 3, Pick 15. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Kiran Amegadjie in the Round 3 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
No edge and no loss on Brandon Dorlus in pick No. 82; it is a wash and a sensible one. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
By-the-book stuff, Bralen Trice at the 83rd pick squarely in line with his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A wild overpay on Tyler Davis in the 86th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
AJ Barner in slot 88 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They will replay Blake Fisher at pick 90 for years; that is how good the value is. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They let Dominick Puni come to them and pounced at the 100th overall pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Nothing to complain about; Roger Rosengarten went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They talked themselves into Decamerion Richardson at pick No. 103, and the board did not agree. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and DJ James at the 104th pick is the proof. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
They jumped the gun on Jarvis Brownlee Jr., taking him earlier than his grade liked. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Malik Mustapha at No. 107 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Gabriel Murphy at the Round 4 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Leonard Taylor III in slot 110 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Brennan Jackson at Round 4, Pick 12 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Myles Cole this early at the 114th pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Zak Zinter at No. 117 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Anthony Gould at the 119th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jacob Cowing. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Brenden Rice in pick 126. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jalyx Hunt in the 129th pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
This one needs a full-page explanation: McKinnley Jackson in No. 137, miles early. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jarrian Jones slid further than he should have, and pick 138 is lovely value for the cornerback. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
They barely believed it either: Jalen McMillan still on the board at the 139th overall pick. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board had Javon Foster higher than pick No. 140, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Ainias Smith at Round 5, Pick 10 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jamari Thrash in slot 148 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Good price on Tommy Eichenberg in the Round 5 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It fills a real need, too.
A straight-up fair deal on Tykee Smith at slot 151, value and slot in agreement. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Beau Brade in the 152nd pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Sione Vaki in pick No. 157 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
A big swing on Delmar Glaze at No. 159, well ahead of any board in the building. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Tahj Washington at Round 5, Pick 26 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Cody Schrader at pick 164 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached into another round for Kimani Vidal, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Nelson Ceaser at the Round 5 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A slide stopped in pick 168, with Dallin Holker worth more than the price. A need, and now a little less of one.
A wild overpay on Khristian Boyd in Round 5, Pick 33, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They liked Ty'Ron Hopper enough to skip the value, taking him in slot 170. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They went early on Gabe Hall in the 173rd overall pick, and the value did not follow. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They paid a round early for Cedric Johnson in No. 175, more than the board wanted. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They reached a country mile for Jaden Crumedy at the 176th pick, and the board is aghast. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Value said wait; Nathaniel Watson in the Round 6 slot says they were not listening. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Edefuan Ulofoshio well ahead of where he belonged. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Justin Eboigbe at slot 180 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A tidy bit of business in pick 181, where Marist Liufau graded well above the range. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A conviction pick on Grayson Murphy at No. 182 that the board grades a round light. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Logan Lee in Round 6, Pick 8 is miles ahead of his ranking. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Eric Watts. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Walter Rouse at the Round 6 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Circle this one: James Williams at pick No. 191 is a fall that decides a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Javontae Jean-Baptiste in the 193rd overall pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nathan Thomas at Round 6, Pick 24 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint this early at slot 201. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A real head-scratcher, Jawhar Jordan in No. 202 is miles ahead of his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A premium they did not need to pay, Jaylen Harrell a notch or two before his time. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They paid sticker price for JD Bertrand in pick No. 218, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A conviction pick on Evan Williams at pick 222 that the board grades a round light. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Brevyn Spann-Ford in the Round 7 slot is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The roster fit checks out.
They talked themselves into Trey Knox at the 226th overall pick, and the board did not agree. A need, and now a little less of one.
Devin Culp at pick No. 229 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.
They paid a round early for Tarheeb Still in Round 7, Pick 10, more than the board wanted. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Jaylon Carlies in the 231st overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Nice patience on Darius Muasau, who had no business lasting to the Round 7 slot. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They robbed the room for Tyrice Knight here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jowon Briggs at No. 236 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Jacob Monk at slot 242. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Tylan Grable in the 250th pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value said wait; Frank Gore Jr. in slot 251 says they were not listening. The roster fit checks out.
They reached into another round for Keilan Robinson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It fills a real need, too.
X'Zauvea Gadlin at the 253rd overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.