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Cardinals 2025
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Zipper DRAFTING FOR THECardinals
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
Draft Picks Traded
Players Gained
Players traded away
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall
B+
ValueC+
NeedB-
TradesA+
FutureA+
The Cardinals won the night they stopped Neal from sliding. Grade: B+. The Cardinals spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Devin Neal, the No. 82 name on the board, in the 247th overall pick. Call it a sensible B+, earned the boring way.
They will need Oben to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend.
The Cardinals paired the rookies with proven help, Myles Garrett leading the way.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick Analysis
Pick4
Rnd1
Abdul Carter
Abdul Carter at No. 4 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick17
Rnd1
Mike Green
In Round 1, Pick 17 they get a problem off the edge, reach and all. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick24
Rnd1
Kenneth Grant
In slot 24 they get a load in the middle. A real need, handled.
Pick25
Rnd1
Will Campbell
In pick 25 they get a cornerstone up front, and a steal at that. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick31
Rnd1
Jalon Walker
In the 31st overall pick they get the heartbeat of the defense, outstanding value to boot. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick32
Rnd1
Benjamin Morrison
In pick No. 32 they get a press-man option on the boundary, even if it was a touch early. Need was not the driver here.
Pick34
Rnd2
Malaki Starks
Malaki Starks at the 34th pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick35
Rnd2
Tyler Booker
No edge and no loss on Tyler Booker in the Round 2 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick36
Rnd2
Nic Scourton
They paid sticker price for Nic Scourton in the 36th overall pick, and that is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick37
Rnd2
Tyler Warren
They took Tyler Warren at par in the Round 2 slot, which is nothing to complain about. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick38
Rnd2
Shemar Stewart
A reach on Shemar Stewart in Round 2, Pick 6; the board had better options right there. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick39
Rnd2
Tyleik Williams
A premium they did not need to pay, Tyleik Williams a notch or two before his time. The roster fit checks out.
Pick44
Rnd2
Donovan Ezeiruaku
A big swing on Donovan Ezeiruaku at No. 44, well ahead of any board in the building. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick49
Rnd2
Xavier Restrepo
Xavier Restrepo in slot 49 is fair value, right on his grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick58
Rnd2
Jihaad Campbell
Jihaad Campbell in pick No. 58 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick67
Rnd3
Aeneas Peebles
Aeneas Peebles in pick 67 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick69
Rnd3
Dylan Fairchild
Dylan Fairchild in Round 3, Pick 5 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick72
Rnd3
Nick Emmanwori
Nick Emmanwori at slot 72 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Pick73
Rnd3
Charles Grant
They paid up for Charles Grant at No. 73 when waiting would have done the job. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick74
Rnd3
Antwaun Powell-Ryland
A real head-scratcher, Antwaun Powell-Ryland in pick 74 is miles ahead of his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick76
Rnd3
Tez Johnson
They jumped the gun on Tez Johnson, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick77
Rnd3
Luke Kandra
Luke Kandra at the 77th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick78
Rnd3
Trey Amos
Steal is underselling it; Trey Amos at the Round 3 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Pick79
Rnd3
Cam Skattebo
Cam Skattebo at pick No. 79 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick89
Rnd3
Savion Williams
Savion Williams at the Round 3 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick94
Rnd3
Carson Schwesinger
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Carson Schwesinger. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick97
Rnd3
Ajani Cornelius
By-the-book stuff, Ajani Cornelius at pick No. 97 squarely in line with his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick101
Rnd3
Omarion Hampton
You do not let a running back like Omarion Hampton reach No. 101 and blink. They did not. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick103
Rnd4
Jalen Royals
They will replay Jalen Royals at pick 103 for years; that is how good the value is. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick107
Rnd4
Kyren Lacy
Kyren Lacy at the 107th pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick113
Rnd4
Alfred Collins
Somehow Alfred Collins was still sitting there in slot 113, and they pounced on premier interior defensive lineman value. It fills a real need, too.
Pick118
Rnd4
Barrett Carter
Barrett Carter in Round 4, Pick 17 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick123
Rnd4
Ty Robinson
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Ty Robinson well ahead of where he belonged. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick126
Rnd4
JJ Pegues
They reached into another round for JJ Pegues, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick128
Rnd4
Jaeden Roberts
They left a pile of value on the table to take Jaeden Roberts this early at slot 128. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick131
Rnd4
Tyreak Sapp
This one needs a full-page explanation: Tyreak Sapp in No. 131, miles early. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick132
Rnd4
Rylie Mills
Rylie Mills at pick 132 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick138
Rnd5
Connor Colby
Connor Colby in Round 5, Pick 1 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick139
Rnd5
Jonah Monheim
Jonah Monheim in the 139th overall pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick140
Rnd5
Simeon Barrow Jr.
Value said wait; Simeon Barrow Jr. in pick No. 140 says they were not listening. The roster fit checks out.
Pick142
Rnd5
Nazir Stackhouse
They reached a country mile for Nazir Stackhouse at slot 142, and the board is aghast. It fills a real need, too.
Pick146
Rnd5
Nick Nash
Nick Nash at No. 146 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick147
Rnd5
CJ West
A wild overpay on CJ West in the 147th pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick151
Rnd5
Will Howard
Will Howard at Round 5, Pick 14 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick157
Rnd5
Trey Zuhn III
They talked themselves into Trey Zuhn III at the 157th overall pick, and the board did not agree. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick163
Rnd5
Joshua Gray
No drama and no debate, Joshua Gray went about where he belonged in pick 163. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick165
Rnd5
Donovan Smith
Donovan Smith at the Round 5 slot is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick166
Rnd5
Seth McLaughlin
Seth McLaughlin at pick No. 166 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick167
Rnd5
Addison West
The board had cheaper options than Addison West at pick No. 167, and it noticed. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick176
Rnd6
Theo Wease Jr.
They went early on Theo Wease Jr. in pick 176, and the value did not follow. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick177
Rnd6
Miles Frazier
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Miles Frazier. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick190
Rnd6
Xavier Truss
Xavier Truss at Round 6, Pick 15 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick193
Rnd6
Roc Taylor
Roc Taylor in the 193rd overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick198
Rnd6
R.J. Oben
They reached into another round for R.J. Oben, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick202
Rnd6
Thor Griffith
Thor Griffith at the 202nd pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick203
Rnd6
Smael Mondon Jr.
The board fumbled Smael Mondon Jr. all the way to No. 203, and they scooped it up. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick214
Rnd6
Chris Paul Jr.
Taking Chris Paul Jr. in pick No. 214 is close to grand larceny; a linebacker that good had no business lasting this long. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick215
Rnd6
Garrett Dellinger
Value said wait; Garrett Dellinger in pick 215 says they were not listening. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick228
Rnd7
Jack Kiser
Jack Kiser in No. 228 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick236
Rnd7
J.J. Weaver
J.J. Weaver in the 236th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick239
Rnd7
Tim Smith
They talked themselves into Tim Smith at the Round 7 slot, and the board did not agree. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick246
Rnd7
Omari Thomas
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Omari Thomas well ahead of where he belonged. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick247
Rnd7
Devin Neal
Devin Neal at slot 247 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick256
Rnd7
Dominic Lovett
A wild overpay on Dominic Lovett in Round 7, Pick 40, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.

































































































