thumbor
The Arizona Cardinals made a whopping 12 picks in this year's draft and came away with plenty of quality talent and depth. While they are without a doubt still developing, they are a team that I like to make noise sooner rather than later with Monti Ossenfort at the helm.
Round 1: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR – Grade: A
I feel pretty strongly that Marvin Harrison Jr. was the correct pick at number 4 overall in the draft, which seems obvious, but there was a lot of buzz about trading out, which I think would have been a terrible mistake. Marvin is one of the best players in the draft, there’s not too much to say, but the Cardinals desperately needed someone to get excited about, and that someone is Marvin Harrison Jr.
Round 1: Darius Robinson, DL – Grade: B-
I didn’t love Darius Robinson as a prospect, but I like the fit here in a Jonathan Gannon defense. Robinson was a bit of a tweener to me, and I don’t know if I saw a true superstar ceiling on tape, but he is a solid player nonetheless. He has inside-out versatility and is great in run defense. I would have strongly preferred Johnny Newton, who went to the Commanders a few picks later.
Round 2: Max Melton, CB – Grade: A-
Max Melton is a super fun player. A little small but a great athlete. Melton sometimes struggles with overly physical receivers, but he is incredibly physical in the run game at his size and should be an impact starter from the moment he steps in the building to go along with a strong ceiling.
Round 3: Trey Benson, RB – Grade: A+
Trey Benson was the clear best running back in the class to me, and was a home-run pick for the Cardinals in the 3rd round. James Conner is aging, and this pick allows them to ease their future star in slowly. Benson was one of my overall favorite players in this entire draft and I have little doubt he will be this team’s lead back of the future, and add more explosiveness than what they currently have at the position.
Round 3: Isaiah Adams, OL – Grade: D+
Isaiah Adams was a true head-scratching pick to me. This was a major reach. There were a lot of interior offensive line guys that I thought were just straight-up better than Isaiah Adams. I had a 6th-round grade on him myself, and I didn’t mind him as a depth guard with upside, but to take him this early isn’t great.
Round 3: Tip Reiman, TE – Grade: B
Tip Reiman is an elite athlete and a phenomenal blocker, but is a complete project. He isn’t very refined, and is a true work in progress, but he should see the field a lot off the bat as the blocking tight end next to Trey McBride on a team that wants to pound the rock, so the opportunity for him to develop should be there for Reiman. It was still about a round too early for me, but I do like the fit here.
Round 3: Elijah Jones, CB – Grade: A-
Elijah Jones is a really talented player with great length. He is a pretty well-rounded player who didn’t get a ton of hype in a deep cornerback class, but he should be a quality starter in the league for a long time.
Round 4: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S – Grade: A-
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson was a guy that I liked as a strong run defender at safety. He has great speed and ball skills, but is pretty raw in coverage. I like this pick in the 4th round, which is where I had him graded.
Round 5: Xavier Thomas, EDGE – Grade: A
Xavier Thomas is a strong pick in the 5th round and a great fit in this defense. He has good speed, but is not necessarily the most polished guy. He was a very productive pass rusher in his last season at Clemson, and a guy who should offer some rotational pass rush for the Cardinals, which is great value in the 5th round.
Round 5: Christian Jones, OT – Grade: A+
I loved the Christian Jones pick. He was a guy that I thought could have gone in the 3rd-4th round without question, so getting him in the 5th is a steal. I don’t think he will ever be a true star at the position, but he is the kind of guy who can come in and be your swing tackle right off the bat.
Round 6: Tejhuan Palmer, WR – Grade: B-
Tejhuan Palmer was one of the few 7th-round caliber guys that I did a truly extensive watch on, I wasn’t a big fan. He tested well, but I didn't really see the top-end speed on tape, and he wasn’t very refined as a receiver. I would have rather seen a swing on someone else, but in the middle of the 6th round, I won’t knock them too much for filling out a position of need.
Round 7: Jaden Davis, CB – Grade: B+
Jaden Davis is a fun player. He has good speed, and frankly pretty good tape, but he lacks strength, and is small with short arms. He should be a good special teamer, and has some of the fan favorite cult-hero vibes to him. Davis is a pretty physical run defender and a great blitzer, but I just don’t really know what his role is in the league with his size limitations.
Final Grade: A-
