GLENDALE – With their final pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected Nevada safety Kitan Crawford in the 7th round and 225th overall. Crawford was the 11th-ranked safety in the class and 146th overall. The 23-year-old played his first four years at Texas before transferring to Nevada for his senior season, where he recorded 76 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Cardinals front office spent six of their seven picks on the defense, bolstering that side of the ball to have a massive year. The addition of Crawford gives Arizona one of the top athletic defensive backs in the draft.
Feb 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Nevada defensive back Kitan Crawford (DB39) participates in drills during the 2025 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
What Crawford brings to the Cardinals:
Sep 14, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) runs the ball as Nevada Wolf Pack safety Kitan Crawford (4) defends during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
NFL Next Gen has Crawford at a 67 grade and predicts he’ll be an average backup or special teamer. However, the same metric gave Crawford the second-best athleticism score of any safety in the class. The former Wolfpack safety ran a 4.41 40-yard dash and had a 41.5-inch vertical jump, which was tied for the second-best for the entire draft combine.
Crawford stands at 5’11 and 202 pounds, doing well in man/press coverage with his weight and vertical advantage. He has allowed a QB rating of 67.9 when targeted and excels in one-on-one matchups.
Aug 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Jonathan Gannon during the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Head coach Jonathan Gannon is beefing up the secondary with the third defensive back drafted in this year’s draft. The trio of cornerbacks will add much-needed depth to a Cardinals secondary that has struggled with injuries throughout the past few years.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
