Looking at the grades for the Arizona Cardinals coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Happy Monday one and all.
The 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone and the Arizona Cardinals seemed to do a good job… depending on who you ask.
That is what makes the right away draft grades so silly, because whether right or wrong, none of these guys giving out grades really ever follow up with it (although they tend to highlight the times they are right more than wrong).
So, let’s take a look at a number of grades from around the web on your Arizona Cardinals 2025 NFL Draft class.
Sports Illustrated: B
Analysis: Arizona finally added some defensive talent, which should allow coach Jonathan Gannon to fully operate his scheme. Nolen is a boom-or-bust prospect, but if the Cardinals are right about him, he’s capable of doing what Jalen Carter does in the middle of the Eagles’ defensive line. Arizona also rolled the dice on Johnson, a talented cornerback who fell from the first round due to medical concerns. Johnson, however, claims to be healthy and could be an immediate impact player. Arizona went all defense with its first five picks.
The Score: B+
There’s plenty of risk here, but this has the potential to be a transformative draft haul for the Cardinals defense. Nolen’s ceiling is as high as any defensive lineman in this class, and he’ll be a game-changer if he can improve his consistency at the next level. Johnson, who was the No. 8 overall player on my board, looks like a steal in the middle of the second round. And he may be, but he was only available at that spot due to a knee issue reportedly flagged by teams during medical reviews. Burch and Simon have the potential to contribute in starting roles, too. The grade accounts for the risk, but it should be acknowledged that there’s a ton of potential here.
NY Post: C
Analysis: A few months ago, Johnson could’ve been the first-rounder and Nolen the second-rounder. There are questions about Nolen’s level of commitment and Johnson’s long injury history. Burch, a former five-star recruit, finally lived up to his potential last season. Very boom-or-bust.
CBS Sports: B-
The Cardinals have gone to extreme lengths to improve the defense this offseason, and that theme continued in the draft. Nolen has immense upside as a pass rusher, and Johnson was probably picked at the proper value in the second round. Both are youthful, splash-play creators.
Burch was a strange selection in Round 3, as he’s somewhat of a tweener who looks the part yet was hardly productive in any one area at Oregon. Simon can command the middle of the defense in time, and Burke represents quality depth at cornerback later.
USA Today: B-
Could be an especially wide variance of outcomes with their first two picks, first-round DT Walter Nolen and CB Will Johnson – the latter’s knee likely to determine if he was a steal or a player with diminishing returns. Third-rounder Jordan Burch joins a D-line that may be morphing from weakness to strength.
Arizona focused on defense on the first two days of the draft, taking two potential stars in Nolen and Johnson. If Nolen can put it all together and Johnson can stay healthy, they will lift the Cardinals’ defense to a new level.
Simon just seems to find the ball. He’ll make plays inside and outside for the Cardinals. His fellow Buckeye, Burke, has the athleticism to stick on the roster. They found a needed offensive lineman in Conner, and I expect Crawford to surprise as a nickel safety his rookie season. Arizona should be looking to sign multiple undrafted free agent receivers to compete for a roster spot.
Bleacher Report: B+
Mel Kiper Jr.: B-
I love this draft class. The Cardinals had a clear plan to upgrade their defense and took some big swings on talented players in Walter Nolen and Will Johnson to start their draft class. They doubled down on the defensive line with the selection of do-it-all defensive lineman Jordan Burch from Oregon and took an upside pick with Denzel Burke on Day 3. They must feel pretty good about where they are on offense because they didn’t get a pick there until the sixth round with guard Hayden Conner.
Pete Prisco: B+
I liked what they did. They addressed major needs on defense with their first three picks. First-round pick Walter Nolen adds a nice push-the-pocket player to the defense. Burch and fourth-round linebacker Cody Simon both could be steals.
Rob Rang: B-
Adding splashy defensive tackle Walter Nolen in the first round was an ideal final touch to a masterful offseason dedicated to improving Arizona’s front. Nolen has some boom or bust to him, but the talent is undeniable and Jonathan Gannon’s proven ability to develop defenders makes him an intriguing investment.
If healthy, cornerback Will Johnson offers top-10 talent at a discount price as the No. 47 overall pick. Jordan Burch is an intriguing talent who could pop in Gannon’s scheme, as well. While I’m excited for all the improvements made to Arizona’s defense in this draft, I question if enough was done to upgrade the offensive line, tempering my enthusiasm for this group, overall.
More will filter in over the next couple of days, but as we see, a “B” draft is about the average, and that makes sense.