Identifying position needs
With the 2025 NFL Draft scheduled to start 4 weeks from today, I thought it would be interesting to consider what the Arizona Cardinals’ 53-man roster might look like at this point in the off-season, with the purpose of determining the team’s draft priorities.
Here is my best guess of what the coaches would decide if they had to pick the roster today:
- QB (2): Kyler Murray, Jacoby Brissett
- RB (4): James Conner, Trey Benson, Emari Demercado, DeeJay Dallas
- WR (5): Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Zay Jones, Xavier Weaver
- TE (4): Trey McBride, Tip Reiman, Elijah Higgins, Travis Vokolek
- OL (9): Paris Johnson Jr., Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt, Isaiah Adams, Jonah Williams, Kelvin Beachum, Jon Gaines II, Christian Jones, Royce Newman
- DI (6): Dalvin Tomlinson, Darius Robinson, Dante Stills, L.J. Collier, Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols
- ILB (4): Mack Wilson Sr., Akeem Davis-Gaither, Owen Pappoe, Mykal Walker
- ED (5): Josh Sweat, Zaven Collins, Baron Browning, B.J. Ojulari, Xavier Thomas
- CB (6): Garrett Williams, Starling Thomas V, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Max Melton, Elijah Jones, Kei’Trel Clark
- S (5): Budda Baker, Jalen Thompson, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Joey Blount, Darren Hall
- ST (3): Aaron Brewer, Chad Ryland, Blake Gillikin
Last 5 In on Offense:
- RB DeeJay Dallas
- WR Zay Jones
- WR Xavier Weaver
- TE Travis Vokolek
- G Royce Newman
First 5 Out on Offense:
- QB Clayton Tune
- RB Michael Carter
- WR Simi Fehoko
- WR Tejhuan Palmer
- G/T Jake Curhan
Last 5 In on Defense:
- DE L.J. Collier
- DT Bilal Nichols
- ED Xavier Thomas
- CB Kei’Trel Clark
- S Darren Hall
First 5 Out on Defense:
- LB Vi Jones
- ED Benton Whitley
- CB Jalon Jones
- CB Jaden Davis
- S Jammie Robinson
Veteran Players who might be on the bubble (considering 2025 roles and salaries and potential draft picks who could take their places):
- RB DeeJay Dallas —- 2025 Cap Number: $3.1M —- post June 1 savings: $2.7M
- WR Zay Jones —- 2025 Cap Number: $2.3M —- post June 1 savings $980K
- T Jonah Williams —- 2025 Cap Number: $16.1M —- post June 1 savings: $6.1M
- DE L.J. Collier —- 2025 Cap Number: $3M —- post June 1 savings: $1.5M
- DT Justin Jones —- 2025 Cap Number: $11.3M —- pre June 1 savings: $3.2M
- DT Bilal Nichols —- 2025 Cap Number $7.8M —- pre June 1 savings: $1.9M
- CB Sean Murphy-Bunting —- Cap Number: $10M —- pre June 1 savings: $1.7M
- S Jalen Thompson —- Cap Number $13.7M —- post June 1 savings: $10.2M
2025 Cap Ramifications:
- Total Cap Numbers (if all are on the 53): $67.3M
- Total Cap Savings (if all are not on the 53): $28.2.M
Draft Needs By Position —- high, medium, low
- QB —- low
- RB —- medium (DeeJay Dallas’ spot)
- WR —- medium (Zay Jones’ and Xavier Weaver’s spots)
- TE —- low
- OL —- high (Jonah Williams’, Royce Newman’s spots)
- DI —- high (L.J. Collier’s, Justin Jones’ and Bilal Nichols’ spots)
- ILB —- low
- ED —- medium (Xavier Thomas’ spot)
- CB —- medium (Sean Murphy Bunting’s and Kei’Trel Clark’s spots)
- S —- medium (Jalen Thompson’s and Darren Hall’s spots)
- ST —- low
Draft Priorities (imo):
- DI
- OL
- ED
- BPA
ROTB Questions:
- Do you concur with these roster assessments?
- How many of the veterans on the bubble would like to see the Cardinals trade (if possible) or release?
- Do you concur with the draft priority assessment?
- With their 1st round pick, can you justify the Cardinals selecting a player at a medium priority position over a player at a high priority position?
My answers:
2. I think there’s a good case to be made for moving on from each of the veterans on the bubble, especially the ones who are getting outplayed by the younger players. This coaching staff seems to favor playing veterans ahead of promising young draft picks. I think that kind of favoritism should change, but I fear that it won’t.
4. No. If the 1st round pick is not a player at a high priority position, it will further confirm my concerns about the team’s current front office’s ability to build a balanced and highly competitive roster.
Cases in point:
WR —- you have already drafted 3 WRs (MHJ, MW and TP) using 1st, 3rd and 6th round picks for an offense that prioritizes the RB and TE positions. In addition to those 3 draft picks, you also just signed two UFA WRs in Zay Jones at $2.3M and Simi Fehoko at $1.6M. When is enough, enough? Drafting another WR at #16 this year would be an admission that you are as confident as you were hoping to be about Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson.
ILB —- you have signed 3 UFAs in the last 2 years (Mack Wilson Sr., Akeem Davis-Gaither and Mykal Walker) and you have already drafted and hopefully are developing a good, talented ILB in Owen Pappoe. If you draft an ILB at #16, and you continue to want to start Mack Wilson Sr., then you have just given $10M for 2 years to Akeem Davis-Gaither to be a backup and it could mean having to cut Owen Pappoe or Mykal Walker.
CB —- you have drafted 5 CBs the last two years and picked up a waiver-claim gem in Starling Thomas V, plus have signed UFA Sean Murphy-Bunting to a 3-year $25.5M contract —- therefore picking another CB with this year’s 1st round pick would not only be a glaring example of draft malpractice, it would be an admission that your coaches are not confident enough in the surplus of talented players you have already provided them with.
Some will say —- but we can address the top needs on Days 2 and 3!
To me, this is like choosing to kick a field goal deep in the red zone on 4th and 3 with a 3-point lead with a little over 2 minutes left in the game.
This draft is loaded at the positions we need!
The thing is —-> every team knows this and so by pick #47, the best of the best at those positions will be gone. Teams are drooling over the Eagles’ defensive front 7 talent —- which is why the best front 7 players are going to be plucked off the board fast and furiously. Go for the best when they are sitting there right in front of you!
Carpe diem = “pluck the opportunity” precisely when the moment is ripe.
Something like this:
