D
Arizona Cardinals
Grand theft in pick 183: the Cardinals steal McClellan and grade out a D.
by Reheheheheh ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
The Cardinals lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again. The board pushed back all weekend, and the D is the result.
The Brailsford reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. They punted on wide receiver, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
McClellan falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.
In short, the board sent warnings, and they will be hoping it was wrong.
Pick-by-Pick
They went early on Sam Hecht in Round 3, Pick 11, and the value did not follow. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They talked themselves into Parker Brailsford at the Round 4 slot, and the board did not agree. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Joe Royer slid further than he should have, and pick No. 143 is lovely value for the tight end. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board had DeMonte Capehart higher than No. 151, and the interior defensive lineman fell to them anyway. It fills a real need, too.
Taking Chris McClellan in the 183rd pick is close to grand larceny; an interior defensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. The roster fit checks out.
They robbed the room for Cole Payton here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.