B+
Arizona Cardinals
Nobody dealt better than the Cardinals this weekend: B+.
by Stan93 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 124 picks
· 32 steals
· 68 reaches
The Cardinals did not so much draft Cody Schrader as overpay for him, 134 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. More right than wrong, and a B+ to match.
However the rest shakes out, Guyton at that price is a win they earned. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 3 they get a premier pass rusher, reach and all. The biggest hole, addressed.
In the 11th pick they get a pocket-collapsing interior rusher, a steep price for the projection. A clean fit for the roster.
In pick 19 they get a quarterback's worst nightmare at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the 20th overall pick they get a press-man option on the boundary. More want than need.
Cooper DeJean at pick No. 21 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
In slot 22 they get a cornerstone up front. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In the 23rd pick they get an anchor for the offensive line. The biggest hole, addressed.
In slot 24 they get a plug-and-play piece up front at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Cade Stover in Round 1, Pick 25, miles early. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
In the 26th overall pick they get a potential shutdown corner, though the board says they badly overpaid. Need was not the driver here.
In the Round 1 slot they get a downhill hitter at safety, though the board says they badly overpaid. Need was not the driver here.
In No. 28 they get the heartbeat of the defense, even if it was a touch early. A real need, handled.
In pick No. 29 they get a difference-maker at receiver, a steep price for the projection. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In pick 30 they get a go-to option on the outside, though they paid up to get him. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In slot 31 they get a matchup problem out wide, a steep price for the projection. The biggest hole, addressed.
In Round 1, Pick 32 they get a three-down runner, a steep price for the projection. A real need, handled.
Jonathon Brooks in the 33rd pick is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. The roster fit checks out.
Byron Murphy II is a better player than pick 34 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They talked themselves into Marshawn Kneeland at the 36th overall pick, and the board did not agree. 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 Maason Smith. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Mekhi Wingo at the Round 2 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Brian Thomas Jr. at No. 39 is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They let Amarius Mims come to them and pounced at pick 40. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jordan Morgan at the Round 2 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
No drama and no debate, Edgerrin Cooper went about where he belonged in the 44th pick. It fills a real need, too.
Fair-plus on Roman Wilson, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Chris Braswell in the 46th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
T'Vondre Sweat at Round 2, Pick 20 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Xavier Thomas this early at No. 54. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Roger Rosengarten at slot 57 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They jumped the gun on Javon Baker, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Austin Booker in pick No. 65 is fair value, right on his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Michael Hall Jr. in the Round 3 slot, and that is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Value said wait; DeWayne Carter in pick 67 says they were not listening. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid a round early for Malik Washington in the 68th pick, more than the board wanted. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They reached into another round for Mohamed Kamara, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Javon Bullard at Round 3, Pick 6. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
They barely believed it either: Tyler Guyton still on the board at slot 71. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A linebacker of that caliber at pick No. 74 is the definition of value, full stop. A need, and now a little less of one.
Zach Frazier at pick 75 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Steal is underselling it; Ricky Pearsall at Round 3, Pick 12 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Cody Schrader at the Round 3 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jordan Travis at slot 80 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Decamerion Richardson well ahead of where he belonged. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Cole Bishop at No. 82 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
A big swing on Jarvis Brownlee Jr. at the 85th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
They reached a country mile for Jordan Jefferson at pick No. 86, and the board is aghast. The roster fit checks out.
Circle this one: T.J. Tampa at No. 89 is a fall that decides a draft. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A top-tier offensive lineman at a bargain, Cooper Beebe in Round 3, Pick 27, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They liked Zak Zinter enough to skip the value, taking him in slot 96. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Jacob Cowing in the 97th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A wild overpay on Brenden Rice in the 100th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They read the board right and Patrick Paul was the payoff at pick 101. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Kiran Amegadjie at the Round 4 slot is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in pick No. 103 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Brandon Dorlus in slot 104 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Calen Bullock in Round 4, Pick 5. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
The board had Kris Abrams-Draine higher than the Round 4 slot, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
A market-rate tight end, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Theo Johnson. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A real head-scratcher, Anthony Gould in No. 108 is miles ahead of his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Javon Foster in the 109th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Nothing to complain about; Matt Goncalves went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Christian Mahogany in the 115th overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A tidy bit of business in Round 4, Pick 16, where Gabriel Murphy graded well above the range. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They talked themselves into Tommy Eichenberg at pick No. 117, and the board did not agree. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A wild overpay on Jaden Crumedy in pick 118, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It fills a real need, too.
Nathaniel Watson at the Round 4 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for James Williams. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Malik Mustapha in No. 123 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Hunter Nourzad at slot 124 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Johnny Wilson in Round 4, Pick 25. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Tahj Washington in pick No. 129, miles early. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A premium they did not need to pay, Ainias Smith a notch or two before his time. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Brennan Jackson at the 134th pick is the proof. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, McKinnley Jackson well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Value with a capital V on Jalyx Hunt in the 138th overall pick, a genuine coup. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Braiden McGregor at pick 139 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Javon Solomon at the Round 5 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It fits a board better than it fits this team.
Beau Brade at the 141st pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Beaux Limmer at the 142nd overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A straight-up fair deal on Jamari Thrash at the Round 5 slot, value and slot in agreement. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A tidy little value on Isaac Guerendo in pick No. 145, a step better than break-even. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They will replay Cedric Gray at pick 146 for years; that is how good the value is. A need, and now a little less of one.
They robbed the room for Jarrian Jones here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Somehow Erick All was still sitting there in Round 5, Pick 13, and they pounced on premier tight end value. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A reach for AJ Barner in slot 150; a little patience would have been rewarded. A need, and now a little less of one.
Nehemiah Pritchett slipping to Round 5, Pick 16 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
No edge and no loss on Myles Cole in slot 153; it is a wash and a sensible one. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A big swing on Nelson Ceaser at the Round 5 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Good price on Tanor Bortolini in the 157th pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Walter Rouse at pick 159 is a conviction pick that outran the value. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They reached a country mile for Delmar Glaze at pick No. 162, and the board is aghast. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Cedric Johnson at No. 164 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Grayson Murphy in the 166th overall pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A reach on Ty'Ron Hopper in No. 167; the board had better options right there. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Value said wait; Khristian Boyd in slot 168 says they were not listening. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Zion Tupuola-Fetui in pick No. 170 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They reached into another round for Edefuan Ulofoshio, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It fills a real need, too.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Eric Watts this early at the 176th pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A real head-scratcher, Jaylen Harrell in the Round 6 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They took Gabe Hall at par in the 180th overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They talked themselves into Logan Lee at pick 181, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Myles Murphy this early at pick No. 182. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Value said wait; Justin Rogers in pick 183 says they were not listening. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jowon Briggs in the 186th pick, miles early. The roster fit checks out.
A big swing on JD Bertrand at the Round 6 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They reached into another round for Darius Muasau, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A slide stopped in No. 194, with Chau Smith-Wade worth more than the price. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
A quiet steal in slot 195: Sione Vaki for less than the market said. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Kamal Hadden slid further than he should have, and Round 6, Pick 21 is lovely value for the cornerback. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Dallin Holker in the 199th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A clean, defensible pick in the 201st pick with a little surplus value in Nathan Thomas. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint in slot 203 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
By-the-book stuff, Kimani Vidal at pick No. 205 squarely in line with his ranking. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Nice patience on Javion Cohen, who had no business lasting to No. 212. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Layden Robinson in the Round 6 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A wild overpay on Jawhar Jordan in Round 6, Pick 45, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.
Keilan Robinson in pick 222 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Frank Gore Jr. at pick No. 225 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A real head-scratcher, Michael Barrett in slot 226 is miles ahead of his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Brevyn Spann-Ford at the 231st pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It fills a real need, too.
Trey Knox at No. 242 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The roster fit checks out.
The board fumbled Jacob Monk all the way to the Round 7 slot, and they scooped it up. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
X'Zauvea Gadlin at the 253rd overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.