NEWSLETTER
With back-to-back losing seasons, the Arizona Cardinals entered the 2024 NFL Draft under immense pressure. General Manager Monti Ossenfort had war chests full of picks, thanks to trades and a disappointing record. But would he address the team’s numerous needs effectively? Let’s dive into their draft class and reveal our Arizona Cardinals NFL Draft Grade.
Arizona Cardinals NFL Draft Grade: A
The Arizona Cardinals’ 2024 draft was all about acquiring immediate contributors and building for the future. Armed with a whopping 12 picks, the most in the NFL, GM Monti Ossenfort addressed a variety of needs and roster depth. The early rounds focused on adding offensive firepower for Kyler Murray and improving on defense where Arizona struggled at times in 2023.
They accomplished all these goals with their 2024 NFL Draft class. Grabbing who many experts thought was the top overall player available at wide receiver with their first pick was just the beginning. The Cardinals also drafted one of the top edge rushers late in the first round and an underrated cornerback in the second. Both filling immediate needs for the team.
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They were blessed with a plethora of picks in round 3 where they loaded up on offensive depth, added a potential starting interior lineman, and grabbed another db to help their porous pass defense. Arizona continued filling needs in the later rounds and hit all their attack points during the NFL Draft. For this reason, and the fact they grabbed three to four immediate impact players is why we gave the Cardinals an NFL Draft grade of A.
| Draft Pick | Selection |
|---|---|
| Rd 1 – pick 4 | Marvin Harrison Jr.. WR – Ohio State |
| Rd 1 – pick 27 | Darius Robinson, DE – Missouri |
| Rd 2 – pick 43 | Max Melton, CB – Rutgers |
| Rd 3 – pick 66 | Trey Benson, RB – Florida State |
| Rd 3 – pick 71 | Isaiah Adams, G, Illinois |
| Rd 3 – pick 82 | Tip Reiman, TE – Illinois |
| Rd 3 – pick 90 | Elijah Jones, CB – Boston College |
| Rd 4 – pick 104 | Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S – Texas Tech |
| Rd 5 – pick 138 | Xavier Thomas, Edge – Clemson |
| Rd 5 – pick 162 | Christian Jones, T – Texas |
| Rd 6 – pick 191 | Tejhaun Palmer, WR – UAB |
| Rd 7 – pick 226 | Jaden Davis, DB – Miami |
Cardinals Land Three Impact Players Early
With the 4th overall pick the Cardinals landed the highly-touted wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., filling their biggest need and giving Kyler Murray a legit no.1 wide-out. The departures of both Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore left Arizona thin at receiver but Harrison’s arrival should more than make up for their absence.
On the defensive side, the Cardinals snagged versatile edge rusher Darius Robinson from Missouris with their second first-round pick. He was projected to go anywhere from the mid-teens to late first-round so Arizona got a bit of value on him. With their second-round selection, the Cards addressed the cornerback position where they really struggled last year by taking Max Melton out of Rutgers. Both of these players, along with Harrison Jr. should be day one starters in the desert making their selections very important.
Filling needs in Round Three and beyond
The later rounds saw them add depth at multiple positions while also adding a possible future lead running back with Trey Benson. James Conner has been rock solid for the Red Birds but he’s probably on his last legs and behind him is a group of unheralded players. Arizona also bolstered the offensive line with guard Isaiah Adams out of Illinois.
They would select many other intriguing prospects across various positions in the latter stages of the NFL Draft. The list of Cardinals NFL Draft Needs was large but they addressed them all and replenished depth at others as well. This fact added to the overall strength of their picks is why they graded out so highly.
