GLENDALE – One of the unanimous agreed-upon winners of the 2025 NFL draft was the Arizona Cardinals. General Manager Monti Ossenfort entered the draft with six picks and ended with seven talented prospects. Ossenfort went heavy on defense, with six of his seven picks defensive players. The headliners are first-round selection DT Walter Nolen and a steal in CB Will Johnson, who has Arizona smiling after the draft finished.
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Cardinals defensive lineman Walter Nolen smiles as he answers questions during the introductory news conference inside the Arizona Cardinals training facility on April 25, 2025, in Tempe. Syndication: Arizona Republic
The team’s confidence level is soaring, with many media outlets praising the Cardinals 2025 draft class. Experts have Arizona as one of, if not the best, draft in the league, giving the franchise a high grade.
Grades for Cardinals’ draft from the following media outlets:
PFF: A+
Yahoo: A
NFL.com: A-
CBS Sports: B+
Draft Kings: A+
Mar 8, 2023; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon introduced some of his staff members and fellow coaches at Arizona Cardinals facility.
Nfl Cardinals Offensive Assistant Coaches Introduction Syndication: Arizona Republic
Many experts see the team’s draft as the one with the highest upside, taking a chance with raw talents like Nolen and Johnson to the bulk of its defense. Johnson does have injury concerns, but his ability when healthy makes the risk seem obsolete.
Ossenfort, going defense with his first five picks, sends a message about his seriousness in turning the Cardinals’ weakness last season into a strength. Arizona struggled against the pass rush and went with raw talent like Nolen and Oregon’s Jordan Burch to add youth to a now-experienced defensive line with Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell.
Then, he moved to the secondary from talented programs, like Johnson and Ohio State’s Denzel Burke, to add some difference-makers. The experts love those additions to an underrated cornerback room that becomes even deeper with smart players.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: Michigan defensive back Will Johnson celebrates a touchdown after intercepting USC quarterback Miller Moss during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. Syndication: Palm Beach Post
NFL and draft experts are raving about the Cardinals draft, and it’s not hard to see why. The front office saw how close the team was to making the postseason in 2024 and went heavy this offseason to address those issues. Momentum is in favor of Arizona heading into next season to make a potential playoff push.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
