B+
Arizona Cardinals
Quarterback settled, Ewers in the fold, and a B+ for the Cardinals.
by fjf ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Quinn Ewers is the Cardinals' quarterback, full stop. No fireworks, but a solid B+.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. Reaching for Ewers left real value on the table behind him.
That tight end hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 5th pick they get protection for the quarterback. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
In No. 17 they get a long-term answer under center, a steep price for the projection. The biggest hole, addressed.
Troy Franklin at pick No. 36 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They liked Jonathon Brooks enough to skip the value, taking him in Round 2, Pick 15. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A tidy little value on Landon Jackson in the Round 3 slot, a step better than break-even. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jack Sawyer in the 71st overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They took Rod Moore at par in slot 81, which is nothing to complain about. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A straight-up fair deal on Cam Hart at pick 104, value and slot in agreement. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Value with a capital V on J. Michael Sturdivant in pick No. 135, a genuine coup. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A tidy bit of business in the 141st pick, where Theo Wease graded well above the range. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They paid sticker price for Zy Alexander in slot 163, and that is fine. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Miles Frazier at the 190th overall pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid a round early for Walter Rouse in Round 7, Pick 5, more than the board wanted. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
By-the-book stuff, Reuben Fatheree II at the Round 7 slot squarely in line with his ranking. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
The board had cheaper options than Tyler Harrell at No. 240, and it noticed. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.