GLENDALE – Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has to be smiling after a stellar performance at the 2025 NFL draft. Saturday concluded the three-day event at Lambeau Field, and many media outlets will have Arizona as one of the biggest winners in the draft.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Cardinals went defense-heavy, with six of their seven picks being on the defensive side of the ball. Ossenfort addressed the defensive early with 1st round pick out of Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen. The following rounds saw Ossenfort get some talented defensive backs to bolster the secondary, including Michigan’s Will Johnson, who fell because of an apparent knee injury.
Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen holds a helmet during his introductory news conference inside the Arizona Cardinals training facility on April 25, 2025, in Tempe. Syndication: Arizona Republic
The pieces fell perfectly for the franchise to have one of its best defensive classes in the past few years. The full breakdown of each pick is below:
Cardinals picks in 2025 NFL draft:
Round 1 (16th): Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen
Round 2 (47th): Michigan CB Will Johnson
Round 3 (78th): Oregon Edge Jordan Burch
Round 4 (115th): Ohio State LB Cody Simon
Round 5 (174th): Ohio State CB Denzel Burke
Round 6 (211th): Texas OG Hayden Conner
Round 7th (225th): Nevada SAF Kitan Crawford
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort speaks about Walter Nolen during a news conference inside the Arizona Cardinals training facility on April 24, 2025, in Tempe. Syndication: Arizona Republic
Entering this offseason, the Cardinals knew the defense needed a massive overhaul. Ossenfort addressed it early in free agency, spending big money on Pro Bowlers like Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell and doubling down in the draft. The front office didn’t draft any skill positions, trusting in franchise quarterback Kyler Murray with the weapons around him already.
Arizona hasn’t made the postseason or had a winning record since 2021. The 2025 season will be the first time in years that those expectations are put onto this team. Ossenfort did his job with filling out positional needs for head coach Jonathan Gannon. It’s now up to the third-year Cardinals coach to earn the results on the field.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
