What kind of a splash did Monti Ossenfort make around the NFL?
Heading into this crucial off-season, many Cardinals’ fans were optimistic but apprehensive as to whether the Cardinals, despite having ample cap room to work with, were going to make a splash. Well, if you ask Joe Marino and Kyle Crabbs of the “Locked On NFL Scouting with the Draft Dudes Podcast”, the Cardinals landed a Top 5 kind of cannonball.
Patriots have to be #1! https://t.co/WmgU8Y1vgE
— A.J. Black (@AJBlack247) June 9, 2025
Credit Monti Ossenfort for taking the deep plunge in both free agency and the draft. Typically, NFL pundits do not want to give the Cardinals much credit for anything —- certainly not Top 5 credit. Thus, to appear at #4 on Marion’s board and #2 on Crabbs’ actually puts them at #1 if you combine the rankings:
- ARI —- 4 + 2 = 6
- KC —- 6 + 1 = 7
- MIN —- 3 + 6 = 9
- LAR —- 1 + 0 = 10
Not sure why Joe Marino has the Rams at #1 —- likely because of adding WR Davante Adams and DT Poona Ford. However, they did not make any upgrades at CB where they return Akhello Witherspoon (65.2 overall, 62.6 coverage in 2024) and Darious Williams (59.0 overall, 61.6 coverage in 2024) as starters on a defense that generated 363 QB pressures and 60 sacks (#6 best team pass rush in NFL, per PFF).
Note: neither the Seahawks nor the 49ers made either of Marino’s or Crabbs’ lists.
You know what, come to think of it, maybe Monti actually landed the ol’ Triple Lindy!