A-
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals worked the phones like thieves and earned a A-.
by kardsfan ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 16 picks
· 6 steals
· 3 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Cardinals fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with. Very little went wrong, and the A- is earned.
They will answer for taking cornerback early while quarterback, tight end and other spots went begging. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped quarterback, which is a strange place to end up.
However the rest shakes out, Clark at that price is a win they earned. If Carter pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
Bottom line, with Amarius Mims leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
Amarius Mims at pick 23 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board had Devontez Walker higher than pick No. 55, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They did well to land Jonah Elliss in the Round 2 slot, just ahead of his grade. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A slide stopped in No. 68, with Josh Newton worth more than the price. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Jackson Powers-Johnson at the 71st overall pick is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Trey Benson at the 87th pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A need, and now a little less of one.
A market-rate offensive lineman, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Zak Zinter. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Gabriel Murphy at slot 104 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Khyree Jackson adds a cornerback and leaves quarterback, tight end and other spots untouched.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Shemar Turner in Round 5, Pick 5. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
By-the-book stuff, Jacob Cowing at slot 180 squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Good price on Christian Jones in the 190th overall pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A premium they did not need to pay, DeWayne Carter a notch or two before his time. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
De'Corian Clark in the Round 6 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They let Jase McClellan come to them and pounced at No. 210. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They paid a round early for Zion Logue in the 233rd pick, more than the board wanted. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.