B+
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals fleeced the room on the phones and earned a B+.
by Stan93 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 155 picks
· 43 steals
· 76 reaches
If confidence were a draft strategy, the Cardinals would have aced it. Cody Schrader at slot 97 is 116 spots clear of where he belonged. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B+.
That is a wide receiver worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The phones were where this weekend was really won. The Cardinals paired the rookies with proven help, Brock Purdy leading the way.
The hoard sets up next April more than it helps this September.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 1 they get a building block for the line. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In Round 1, Pick 2 they get a mismatch in the passing game at fair value. A real need, handled.
In slot 4 they get juice off the edge, reach and all. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the Round 1 slot they get a disruptive interior force, a steep price for the projection. A clean fit for the roster.
In the 16th pick they get a run-stuffing presence up front. A clean fit for the roster.
In No. 19 they get a sticky cover corner at fair value. More want than need.
In pick No. 20 they get a long-term starter on the line. The biggest hole, addressed.
In slot 21 they get a plug-and-play piece up front, though the board says they badly overpaid. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In Round 1, Pick 22 they get a matchup problem out wide. The biggest hole, addressed.
In pick 23 they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece, even if it was a touch early.
In the 26th pick they get a premier pass rusher, and a steal at that. The biggest hole, addressed.
In the 27th overall pick they get a disruptor off the edge, a steep price for the projection. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Cade Stover at the Round 1 slot is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
In No. 30 they get an island corner, outstanding value to boot. Need was not the driver here.
In slot 31 they get a No. 1 receiver at a price that makes it sweeter. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Chop Robinson is a better player than the 32nd pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
J.J. McCarthy in pick No. 33 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. in the 34th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Roman Wilson at pick 36 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Ricky Pearsall at No. 37 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Keon Coleman. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Malachi Corley in Round 2, Pick 7 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Xavier Legette in the Round 2 slot is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They liked Jaylen Wright enough to skip the value, taking him in slot 42. It fills a real need, too.
They paid sticker price for Kris Jenkins in pick 43, and that is fine. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They jumped the gun on Ruke Orhorhoro, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Jordan Morgan slipping to pick No. 48 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Kool-Aid McKinstry at the 49th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Mike Sainristil in Round 2, Pick 19 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Value said wait; Renardo Green in No. 52 says they were not listening. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
No drama and no debate, Christian Haynes went about where he belonged in the 53rd overall pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid a round early for Cooper Beebe in pick 54, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Junior Colson at slot 55. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Edgerrin Cooper slid further than he should have, and the 56th pick is lovely value for the linebacker. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid up for Ja'Lynn Polk at pick No. 57 when waiting would have done the job. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jonathon Brooks at the Round 2 slot is money in the bank, a running back taken below his worth. A need, and now a little less of one.
Adisa Isaac at No. 59 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
By-the-book stuff, T'Vondre Sweat at Round 2, Pick 29 squarely in line with his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A reach for Marshawn Kneeland in Round 2, Pick 30; a little patience would have been rewarded. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on Austin Booker at slot 63, value and slot in agreement. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They talked themselves into Maason Smith at the Round 3 slot, and the board did not agree. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
DeWayne Carter in the 66th overall pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Mohamed Kamara. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
The board had cheaper options than Brandon Dorlus at No. 68, and it noticed. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They took Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at par in the 69th pick, which is nothing to complain about. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Kris Abrams-Draine in pick No. 70, miles early. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
No edge and no loss on Javon Baker in slot 71; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Bralen Trice at Round 3, Pick 9 is a conviction pick that outran the value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A big swing on Jordan Travis at the Round 3 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They will replay Javon Bullard at the 78th pick for years; that is how good the value is. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Malik Washington in No. 79 is fair value, right on his grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Patrick Paul at the 80th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Blake Fisher in pick No. 81 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board fumbled Kiran Amegadjie all the way to pick 82, and they scooped it up. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They robbed the room for Kamari Lassiter here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
A real head-scratcher, Zak Zinter in the 85th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No drama and no debate, Sedrick Van Pran went about where he belonged in the 86th overall pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
AJ Barner at slot 88 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The roster fit checks out.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Cedric Gray this early at the Round 3 slot. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Brandon Coleman at Round 3, Pick 29 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Decamerion Richardson at No. 93 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Tommy Eichenberg in pick No. 94 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They reached a country mile for Isaac Guerendo at slot 96, and the board is aghast. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Cody Schrader well ahead of where he belonged. It fills a real need, too.
Nice patience on Jonah Elliss, who had no business lasting to pick 100. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Gabriel Murphy in pick No. 101 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Javon Solomon at Round 4, Pick 2 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. Hard to map this one onto the depth chart at all.
No edge and no loss on Mekhi Wingo in the 103rd overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A wild overpay on Tyler Davis in No. 105, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.
They reached into another round for Jalyx Hunt, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A reach on Brennan Jackson in the 107th pick; the board had better options right there. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
McKinnley Jackson at slot 108 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jordan Jefferson at pick No. 109 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Braiden McGregor in Round 4, Pick 10 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Gabe Hall at pick 111 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Matt Goncalves in the 112th overall pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A premium they did not need to pay, Brenden Rice a notch or two before his time. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A big swing on Luke McCaffrey at the Round 4 slot, well ahead of any board in the building. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A conviction pick on Jacob Cowing at pick No. 118 that the board grades a round light. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They talked themselves into Ainias Smith at Round 4, Pick 19, and the board did not agree. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Anthony Gould in slot 121, miles early. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Cedric Johnson at No. 122 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Value said wait; Myles Cole in the Round 4 slot says they were not listening. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Trevin Wallace in the 124th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The roster fit checks out.
They barely believed it either: T.J. Tampa still on the board at the 125th overall pick. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
A real head-scratcher, Marist Liufau in pick 130 is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jordan Magee at No. 131 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for James Williams. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They reached into another round for Nathaniel Watson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It fills a real need, too.
A wild overpay on Jaden Crumedy in the 135th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They reached a country mile for Zion Tupuola-Fetui at pick No. 137, and the board is aghast. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Eric Watts this early at slot 138. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Edefuan Ulofoshio well ahead of where he belonged. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A real head-scratcher, Ty'Ron Hopper in the 140th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board had Javon Foster higher than No. 141, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Value said wait; Sione Vaki in pick No. 142 says they were not listening. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Calen Bullock in pick 143 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Circle this one: Blake Corum at the Round 5 slot is a fall that decides a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Beaux Limmer at the 146th pick squarely in line with his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Trevor Keegan at the 149th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Somehow DJ James was still sitting there in Round 5, Pick 14, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
MarShawn Lloyd in slot 151 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A need, and now a little less of one.
You do not let a safety like Kamren Kinchens reach pick No. 152 and blink. They did not. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Cam Hart at the 153rd pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Fabien Lovett. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached a country mile for Khristian Boyd at No. 158, and the board is aghast. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
JD Bertrand at the 159th overall pick is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. The roster fit checks out.
Taking Jarrian Jones in slot 161 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Tykee Smith at Round 5, Pick 26 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the Round 5 slot is a gift, value that borders on unfair. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They talked themselves into Keilan Robinson at slot 164, and the board did not agree. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A wide receiver of that caliber at the 165th overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Steal is underselling it; Malik Mustapha at Round 5, Pick 30 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
A wild overpay on Michael Barrett in the Round 5 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Justin Eboigbe well ahead of where he belonged. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Grayson Murphy in pick 178, miles early. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A big swing on Logan Lee at the 179th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jalen McMillan at No. 180 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Josh Newton in pick 181, plain and simple. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
They read the board right and Walter Rouse was the payoff at Round 6, Pick 7. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
You do not let a safety like Beau Brade reach the Round 6 slot and blink. They did not. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Tahj Washington at slot 184 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. 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 the 185th overall pick. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jawhar Jordan at pick No. 186 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Taking Nehemiah Pritchett in No. 187 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Brevyn Spann-Ford at the 190th pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It fills a real need, too.
Trey Knox at the 191st pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A need, and now a little less of one.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Delmar Glaze. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A tidy little value on Jha'Quan Jackson in Round 6, Pick 18, a step better than break-even. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Isaiah Davis at No. 194 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They will replay Dylan Laube at slot 195 for years; that is how good the value is. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They took Javontae Jean-Baptiste at par in the Round 6 slot, which is nothing to complain about. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Myles Murphy in pick 198 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Justin Rogers in the 200th overall pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They reached into another round for Jowon Briggs, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The roster fit checks out.
Jaylon Carlies in No. 205 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Circle this one: Jaylin Simpson at the Round 6 slot is a fall that decides a draft. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
A straight-up fair deal on Layden Robinson at pick 210, value and slot in agreement. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A slide stopped in the 211th overall pick, with Nathan Thomas worth more than the price. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Tyrice Knight in slot 212, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They went early on Darius Muasau in Round 6, Pick 38, and the value did not follow. The roster fit checks out.
A straight-up fair deal on Jaylen Harrell at the 214th pick, value and slot in agreement. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Value with a capital V on Josh Proctor in slot 215, a genuine coup. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Kimani Vidal at the 218th pick is the proof. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Evan Anderson. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Jaylan Ford in pick 222. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Jaheim Bell in Round 7, Pick 5 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They jumped the gun on Jacob Monk, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Steal is underselling it; Dwight McGlothern at the 231st overall pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Somehow Johnny Dixon was still sitting there in the Round 7 slot, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Tanner McLachlan at Round 7, Pick 22 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A need, and now a little less of one.
The board fumbled Jase McClellan all the way to the 246th pick, and they scooped it up. It fills a real need, too.
Nothing to complain about; Tyler Owens went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Andrew Coker at slot 252 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Value said wait; X'Zauvea Gadlin in the Round 7 slot says they were not listening. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.