SD'S MOCK DRAFT
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  • SD DRAFTING FOR THE
    Cardinals
Draft Selections
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 2 RND: 1 (ARI)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Spencer Fano Head Shot
PICK: 17 RND: 1 (ARI)
Spencer Fano
OT Utah
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 48 RND: 2 (ARI)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Xavier Chaplin Head Shot
PICK: 79 RND: 3 (ARI)
Xavier Chaplin
OT Auburn
DJ McKinney Head Shot
PICK: 114 RND: 4 (ARI)
DJ McKinney
CB Colorado
Bud Clark Head Shot
PICK: 152 RND: 5 (ARI)
Bud Clark
S TCU
DeAndre Moore Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (ARI)
DeAndre Moore Jr.
WR Texas
Jamari Lyons Head Shot
PICK: 236 RND: 7 (ARI)
Jamari Lyons
DL Florida
Draft Picks Received
Fernando Mendoza Head Shot
PICK: 2 RND: 1 (NYJ)
Fernando Mendoza
QB Indiana
Draft Picks Traded
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (NYJ)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (NYJ)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Budda Baker
S
Head Shot
Kyler Murray
QB
Draft Grade — Cardinals
Overall D-
ValueB NeedA- TradesF FutureD
Quarterback settled, Mendoza in the fold, and a D- for the Cardinals.

There is reaching, and then there is Jamari Lyons at pick 236. The Cardinals jumped the board by 58 and dared it to prove them wrong. It grades a D-, and the process earned it.

They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down. Everything downstream of Fernando Mendoza depends on Fernando Mendoza, and the building knows it. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.

The Lemon pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. The bill for those future picks comes due whether the class hits or not.

Add it up and it is a weekend the front office will hope everyone forgets, edge rusher very much included.

Pick Analysis
Pick2 Rnd1 Fernando Mendoza
In pick No. 2 they get the face of the franchise. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick17 Rnd1 Spencer Fano
In the 17th overall pick they get protection for the quarterback, and a steal at that. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick48 Rnd2 Makai Lemon
Steal is underselling it; Makai Lemon at Round 2, Pick 16 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick79 Rnd3 Xavier Chaplin
Xavier Chaplin in the Round 3 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick114 Rnd4 DJ McKinney
The board fumbled DJ McKinney all the way to slot 114, and they scooped it up. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick152 Rnd5 Bud Clark
Bud Clark slid further than he should have, and the 152nd pick is lovely value for the safety. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Pick195 Rnd6 DeAndre Moore Jr.
DeAndre Moore Jr. in slot 195 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick236 Rnd7 Jamari Lyons
Jamari Lyons at the 236th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.