What Did Cardinals Get With Texas OL?

The Arizona Cardinals' lone draft pick spent on the offensive side of the football was made in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Was this ideal? Time will tell.

That selection was spent on Texas Longhorns offensive guard Hayden Conner, and he’s quite the interesting prospect.

Conner spent four seasons with UT in a full-time role and played at an average level. As a four-star recruit coming out of high school, you could say he did but also did not live up to expectations as someone who never took the next step, but hardly ever missed a start.

Let’s dive into the long-time starter and the Cardinals’ lone offensive pick:

Accomplishments

• Four-star recruit in the 2021 high school class
• 43 starts at left guard for Texas (2022-2024)
• Starter for offensive line named finalist for Joe Moore Award

2025 NFL Draft profile

• Ideal size for position (6'6, 314 lbs)
• Tons of play time; Substantial number of starts
• Below-average athlete
• Limited upside at the next level

What the Tape Shows

Texas hosted terrific offensive line talent throughout Conner's stint in Austin including first-round pick Kelvin Banks. Conner did his job with an offensive line that was recognized amongst the best in the nation. Conner and Banks played excellent football with Cameron Williams, Jake Majors, and DJ Campbell next to them.

With that being said, Conner has clear limitations to his game. His sets are not as polished as you would think for someone who started four seasons for a top level program. There’s far too many inconsistencies from footwork to hand placement to overall balance.

He’s a work in progress at best.

It’s not as though the talent suddenly got up and left with Connor, of course. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and started four seasons for the Longhorns. It’s not impossible for him to translate to the pros, but he needs coaching.

Role for 2025

We’re gonna keep this one nice and simple — Conner should not be given any role as a rookie and to sit on the bench and learn. He was a sixth-round pick because of clear and present limitations and shouldn’t be rushed on the field.

If the Cardinals hope to one day get a starter out of him, they'll need to display patience.