1 Prospect Cardinals Should Avoid in Every Round of NFL Draft

The 2025 NFL Draft is nearly here, and we can hardly contain our excitement for what the Arizona Cardinals could do. Everyone knows who they want and refuses to settle for anyone else.

That’s all well and good, but with that being said, I do have players that I strongly recommend the Cardinals do not look at.

In complete transparency, there are vastly different reasons for each player as to why I would not select them if I were the Cardinals, ranging from fit to production and even attitude for some. Not all prospects are built the same, after all.

From day one to the end of the draft, the following players are the ones that I don’t think the Cardinals should draft.

We can start with round one and one of my favorite players in the class that I still don’t want the Cardinals to pick:

Round 1: Malaki Starks

I remain a big fan of Starks and believe rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. That being said, I would not be a fan of Arizona selecting him in the first round.

The reason why is simple: the Cardinals have more than enough depth at safety to push that knee down the board.

The Cardinals have bigger fish to fry in round one. Adding a safety, even one as good as Starks, wouldn’t fix much larger needs for this team.

Round 2: JT Tuimoloau

Tuimoloau is a phenomenal pass rusher and could be one of the best values on day two of the draft. He had solid production over his first three years with the Buckeyes and exploded as a senior.

Normally, I’d be all over a guy like that being added to a team that needs pass rush help. However, there is a reason I’m hesitant… And it’s because I don’t like the fit.

I believe that at Tuimoloau's size that he may not provide the versatility to play off the edge that the Cardinals desire for the position. I think Tuimoloau makes much more sense as a full-time down lineman, and Arizona already has that with Darius Robinson. There are better pass rushers who fit the team better on day two than Tuimoloau. 

Round 3: Xavier Restrepo

I like Restrepo quite a bit despite his glaringly obvious flaw — a severe lack of speed. And if you’ve been keeping up with my content, then you know that’s a dealbreaker.

Depth is certainly needed that wide receiver for Arizona, but they need speed at the position more than anything else. This simply is not something that we Restrepo provides, even if he is a great and reliable slot receiver.

The team already has receivers that can be reliable, checkdown options, so selecting Restrepo, especially on day two, would be putting a hat on a hat.

Round 4: Billy Bowman

Once we get to day three, I can get on board with adding a safety. There’s still no guarantee that Jalen Thompson will be on this team at the start of the season, and either way, he’s a free agent next offseason.

So at this point, I’m totally good with adding a safety. But, Bowman is not the guy.

Bowman has plenty of playing time under his belt, but the number of tackles he misses is mind-blowing. He’s also not overly great in coverage and seems like a very limited player at the next level.

There are simply other DBs I would prefer.

Round 5: Danny Stutsman

Speaking of Sooners defenders…

I’m also not all in on Stutsman for the same reasons as Bowman, but this time at the linebacker spot. Stutsman is built much closer to a traditional linebacker and plays the run as strongly as anyone else. But that’s where it starts and ends.

Stutsman is just as much a liability with missed tackles as his teammate and is a massive weakness in pass coverage. There’s a reason he’s available this late, and he’s someone the Cardinals should take off their board.

Round 6: Ollie Gordon

The Cardinals don’t need to add a running back by any means, but perhaps a late-round selection on one of college football’s biggest names could sway them.

I implore them not to fall for this trap.

Two years ago, Gordon was undisputedly the best running back in college football and seems destined for stardom at the next level. He even looked like a potential first-round pick and franchise running back.

Unfortunately, he was exposed this last season. You can attribute some of that to a horrendous offense and even worse offensive line, but he took a massive step backward. Arizona doesn’t need a running back, and they can’t afford to fall for the trap of adding a big name even at the perceived value.

Round 7: Traeshon Holden

All the way in round seven is a player I’m not touching with a 10-foot pole. I would rather be wrong on Holden than take the risk of selecting him at any point in the draft.

Holden was always talented, but could never quite take that next step. He did have a more-than-quality season last year in an offense that had no shortage of studs to use. But I do believe a lot can be attributed to injuries that provided opportunities.

I stand firm on that business, considering he still was unexceptional across the board. There's simply not enough that Holden offers me to spend a draft pick on, and quite frankly, his attitude in the Ohio State game really rubbed me the wrong way.

Like I said, I’d rather be wrong on him than take a chance. I. Am. OUT.