B
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B.
by Db ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 5 picks
· 2 steals
· 1 reaches
There is conviction, and then there is this. The Cardinals took Dillon Gabriel a full 39 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B.
The Walker steal is the beam this whole class leans on. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Job largely done: quarterback settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.
The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
They paid sticker price for Josh Simmons in slot 16, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Jalon Walker in the Round 2 slot, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Dillon Gabriel at pick No. 78 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Elic Ayomanor at the 113th pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Howard Cross III at Round 5, Pick 14 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It patches a soft spot without any drama.