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AZ Draft 26 3.2
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Bill DRAFTING FOR THECardinals
Draft Selections
Draft Picks Received
Draft Picks Traded
Players Gained
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall
B
ValueC+
NeedB+
TradesA+
FutureB-
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Cardinals a B. The Cardinals looked at the value chart, folded it up, and took Kaytron Allen at Round 3, Pick 28 regardless, 57 picks early. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B.
That Fields pick is the receipt they will wave around later. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own.
Leaving tight end unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick Analysis
Pick12
Rnd1
Olaivavega Ioane
In Round 1, Pick 12 they get a building block for the line. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick34
Rnd2
Max Iheanachor
They went early on Max Iheanachor in pick 34, and the value did not follow. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick37
Rnd2
Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter at pick No. 37 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick65
Rnd3
Jacob Rodriguez
A quiet steal in slot 65: Jacob Rodriguez for less than the market said. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick92
Rnd3
Kaytron Allen
Kaytron Allen at the 92nd overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick104
Rnd4
Malachi Fields
Malachi Fields in the 104th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick105
Rnd4
Sam Hecht
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Sam Hecht in the Round 4 slot. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick112
Rnd4
Mason Reiger
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Mason Reiger well ahead of where he belonged. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick143
Rnd5
Chris McClellan
Chris McClellan at Round 5, Pick 3 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick183
Rnd6
Cole Payton
Value said wait; Cole Payton in the 183rd overall pick says they were not listening. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick217
Rnd7
Eric McAlister
Eric McAlister is a better player than No. 217 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.













