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Cardinals 25
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zipper DRAFTING FOR THECardinals
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
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3
(IND)
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4
(IND)
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4
(MIA)
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5
(MIA)
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5
(JAX)
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5
(MIA)
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6
(HOU)
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7
(IND)
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7
(MIA)
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Draft Picks Traded
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2
(ATL)
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3
(ATL)
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4
(ATL)
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5
(ATL)
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Players traded away
Desmond
Ridder
QB
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall
D
ValueC+
NeedB-
TradesF
FutureC+
The Cardinals bled value on every deal, hence the D. The Cardinals did not so much draft Shaun Dolac as overpay for him, 122 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend.
They banked enough surplus on Neal to cover a lot of smaller sins. They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with quarterback chief among the fixes. They bet on numbers rather than a single high pick.
In short, the board sent warnings, and they will be hoping it was wrong.
Pick Analysis
Pick16
Rnd1
Mykel Williams
In No. 16 they get a bendy edge with upside at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick47
Rnd2
Alfred Collins
They paid up for Alfred Collins at slot 47 when waiting would have done the job. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick86
Rnd3
Emery Jones Jr.
They reached into another round for Emery Jones Jr., and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick113
Rnd4
Tez Johnson
Tez Johnson at pick No. 113 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick114
Rnd4
Joshua Farmer
They took Joshua Farmer at par in the Round 4 slot, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick115
Rnd4
Tommi Hill
Tommi Hill at pick 115 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick116
Rnd4
Carson Schwesinger
Carson Schwesinger in No. 116 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick124
Rnd4
Dylan Fairchild
Dylan Fairchild in pick No. 124 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick133
Rnd4
Elijah Arroyo
They robbed the room for Elijah Arroyo here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick141
Rnd5
Billy Bowman Jr.
They barely believed it either: Billy Bowman Jr. still on the board at the 141st overall pick. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Pick142
Rnd5
Cam Skattebo
Somehow Cam Skattebo was still sitting there in the Round 5 slot, and they pounced on premier running back value. The roster fit checks out.
Pick149
Rnd5
Willie Lampkin
A real head-scratcher, Willie Lampkin in Round 5, Pick 12 is miles ahead of his ranking. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick150
Rnd5
Jonah Monheim
They paid sticker price for Jonah Monheim in the 150th pick, and that is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick151
Rnd5
Kevin Jennings
This one needs a full-page explanation: Kevin Jennings in slot 151, miles early. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick154
Rnd5
Nick Nash
No edge and no loss on Nick Nash in the Round 5 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick157
Rnd5
Ricky White III
Ricky White III at pick 157 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick165
Rnd5
Kyle Williams
Kyle Williams at the 165th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick168
Rnd5
JJ Pegues
They jumped the gun on JJ Pegues, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It fills a real need, too.
Pick169
Rnd5
Jeffrey Bassa
The board fumbled Jeffrey Bassa all the way to Round 5, Pick 32, and they scooped it up. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick170
Rnd5
Shaun Dolac
A big swing on Shaun Dolac at the 170th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick172
Rnd5
Jackson Slater
Circle this one: Jackson Slater at slot 172 is a fall that decides a draft. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick173
Rnd5
Tonka Hemingway
They left a pile of value on the table to take Tonka Hemingway this early at No. 173. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick175
Rnd5
Devin Neal
A running back of that caliber at the Round 5 slot is the definition of value, full stop. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick180
Rnd6
Cody Simon
Steal is underselling it; Cody Simon at the 180th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick186
Rnd6
Xzavier Henderson
Xzavier Henderson in the 186th overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick187
Rnd6
Addison West
The board had cheaper options than Addison West at slot 187, and it noticed. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick192
Rnd6
Hayden Conner
Hayden Conner at No. 192 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick221
Rnd7
Jonas Sanker
They let Jonas Sanker come to them and pounced at Round 7, Pick 5. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Pick224
Rnd7
Akheem Mesidor
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Akheem Mesidor well ahead of where he belonged. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick231
Rnd7
Seth McLaughlin
Good price on Seth McLaughlin in pick No. 231, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick232
Rnd7
Marcus Yarns
Marcus Yarns in the Round 7 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick242
Rnd7
Jamaree Caldwell
They talked themselves into Jamaree Caldwell at pick No. 242, and the board did not agree. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick253
Rnd7
Shilo Sanders
Shilo Sanders at the 253rd overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.