B+
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals robbed the room for Simon. Final grade: B+.
by zipper ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 82 picks
· 18 steals
· 54 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Cody Simon got past him. The Cardinals do not have to explain a thing at pick No. 239.
The Sapp reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 7 they get a double-digit-sack hope. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In the Round 1 slot they get protection for the quarterback at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
In the 14th overall pick 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 pick 16 they get a load in the middle at fair value. A real need, handled.
In slot 17 they get a sticky cover corner at fair value. More want than need.
In the 20th pick they get a home-run threat at receiver at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
In Round 1, Pick 23 they get a problem off the edge, a steep price for the projection. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They paid up for Tyler Warren at No. 29 when waiting would have done the job. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Value with a capital V on Nick Emmanwori in pick 33, a genuine coup. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They talked themselves into Aireontae Ersery at pick No. 35, and the board did not agree. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A premium they did not need to pay, Shemar Stewart a notch or two before his time. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Emeka Egbuka in the 37th overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Dylan Fairchild in No. 44 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They let Derrick Harmon come to them and pounced at the 45th pick. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They reached a country mile for Deone Walker at the Round 2 slot, and the board is aghast. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They reached into another round for Donovan Jackson, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Tyleik Williams in No. 52 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on Zy Alexander in pick 58; it is a wash and a sensible one. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Tez Johnson in pick No. 61 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jaxson Dart at the 67th pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Luke Kandra in the Round 3 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Value said wait; Hollin Pierce in the 70th overall pick says they were not listening. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A straight-up fair deal on Omarr Norman-Lott at slot 73, value and slot in agreement. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Antwaun Powell-Ryland well ahead of where he belonged. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid a round early for Jermari Harris in pick 78, more than the board wanted. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
A big swing on Jordan Burch at Round 3, Pick 15, well ahead of any board in the building. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Kaleb Johnson in the Round 3 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
You do not let a linebacker like Jalon Walker reach No. 81 and blink. They did not. It fills a real need, too.
They will replay Jihaad Campbell at pick No. 85 for years; that is how good the value is. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jack Nelson in the 88th overall pick, miles early. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Ozzy Trapilo. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Ahmed Hassanein this early at slot 92. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A wild overpay on Rylie Mills in slot 94, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Hayden Conner at pick 101 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Jack Bech slipping to pick No. 102 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Tai Felton in Round 4, Pick 4. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
No drama and no debate, Cam Skattebo went about where he belonged in No. 106. The roster fit checks out.
Ty Robinson at the 115th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A need, and now a little less of one.
Jaeden Roberts in the 117th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Chase Lundt at the Round 4 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Value said wait; JJ Pegues in pick No. 121 says they were not listening. A need, and now a little less of one.
They reached into another round for Shemar Turner, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It fills a real need, too.
Connor Colby in No. 123 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Malachi Moore in pick 124, plain and simple. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
A quiet steal in the 139th overall pick: Carson Schwesinger for less than the market said. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A real head-scratcher, Jonah Monheim in the 140th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A conviction pick on Xavier Scott at the Round 5 slot that the board grades a round light. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
A big swing on Antwane Wells Jr. at Round 5, Pick 5, well ahead of any board in the building. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
CJ West at slot 146 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
The board had Jaylin Noel higher than No. 151, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Nazir Stackhouse in the Round 5 slot, miles early. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Tyreak Sapp at the 161st overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board had cheaper options than Dont'e Thornton Jr. at pick 163, and it noticed. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Circle this one: Jake Majors at the 165th pick is a fall that decides a draft. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Seth McLaughlin at pick No. 167 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They talked themselves into Miles Frazier at Round 6, Pick 1, and the board did not agree. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jared Wilson well ahead of where he belonged. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Lathan Ransom at Round 6, Pick 3 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Thor Griffith at slot 179 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jamaree Caldwell in pick 180 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A wild overpay on Anthony Belton in No. 184, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Garrett Dellinger this early at the 189th pick. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They reached a country mile for Joey Slackman at the 190th overall pick, and the board is aghast. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Tim Smith. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They talked themselves into Xavier Truss at pick No. 192, and the board did not agree. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Nick Nash at pick 196 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jeffrey Bassa at the 198th overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The roster fit checks out.
Steal is underselling it; Rod Moore at the Round 6 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
Paris Shand at Round 6, Pick 37 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A real head-scratcher, Cooper Mays in the 214th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Micah Morris at slot 215 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Tyler Cooper in No. 216, miles early. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A big swing on Bryan Felter at the 221st pick, well ahead of any board in the building. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They reached into another round for Javontez Spraggins, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Somehow Kobe King was still sitting there in the Round 7 slot, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for J.J. Weaver. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Value said wait; Jay Toia in Round 7, Pick 16 says they were not listening. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They paid sticker price for Kaden Prather in No. 236, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
They jumped the gun on Xzavier Henderson, taking him earlier than his grade liked. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
The board fumbled Cody Simon all the way to the 239th overall pick, and they scooped it up. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jake Briningstool in pick 247 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A need, and now a little less of one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Marcus Dumervil this early at No. 256. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.