B-
Arizona Cardinals
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Cardinals.
by nickm11 ·
2025 NFL Draft
· 5 picks
· 1 steals
· 1 reaches
Some picks age like wine; Maxwell Hairston at the 47th overall pick will need to, sitting 26 spots clear of his grade. It does the job without flash, and the B- reflects it.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped wide receiver, which is a strange place to end up. However the rest shakes out, Leonard at that price is a win they earned.
They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 16 they get a long-term starter on the line. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Maxwell Hairston at the Round 2 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Barrett Carter at slot 78 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They let Riley Leonard come to them and pounced at the 114th overall pick. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
No edge and no loss on Jah Joyner in Round 5, Pick 14; it is a wash and a sensible one. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.