B+
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals turned the phones into found money: B+.
by Jrico1020 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 12 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
Some picks age like wine; Christian Jones at pick No. 158 will need to, sitting 39 spots clear of his grade. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it. They banked enough surplus on Washington to cover a lot of smaller sins.
The Cardinals clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
Jared Verse at pick 21 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the edge rusher. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
In slot 27 they get a blindside protector at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
They jumped the gun on Cooper Beebe, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Johnny Wilson in the 71st overall pick, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
By-the-book stuff, Tyler Davis at No. 90 squarely in line with his ranking. It fills a real need, too.
Khyree Jackson at the Round 4 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Tykee Smith at pick No. 105. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A quiet steal in pick 133: Malik Washington for less than the market said. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Christian Jones this early at slot 158. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nothing to complain about; Julian Pearl went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A pick in search of a role on this roster.
A slide stopped in Round 7, Pick 5, with Jalen Green worth more than the price. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
No edge and no loss on BJ Mayes in the Round 7 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.