3 Players Cardinals Must Avoid in NFL Draft

A fan-favorite conversation when it comes to the 2025 NFL Draft revolves around their “dream“ picks for their favorite team, and Arizona Cardinals fans are no exception. As fun of an exercise as this may be, sometimes it sets fans up for heartbreak when their preferred player is taken.

Something that’s not talked about enough is players your team should avoid, however.

I want to start with this disclaimer: The three players I’m about to list are guys that I really like and believe can/will become stars at the next level. The reason why they find themselves on this list has more to do with fit, day one impac and value compared to other available players, among other various factors.

The Cardinals have a lot of fish to fry with this upcoming draft and it’s vital they nail all their picks… and unfortunately, that could mean passing on your favorite player or someone you think is simply better than the other.

All that said, below are three guys I would advise the Cardinals' front office to avoid when their pick rolls around in the first round.

Kelvin Banks, OT, Texas

Banks is one of my absolute favorite players in the draft class and someone who I think has the highest floor as a day one target. So why am I saying the Cardinals should avoid him?

It’s a simple as this: he exclusively plays left tackle.

Considering how long Arizona has been in pursuit of a franchise blindside protector, this statement may sound a bit looney. But the reason why has nothing to do with Banks and everything to do with the guy currently holding down the position.

Paris Johnson Jr. was the team’s top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with the intention of making him the eventual cornerstone left tackle. After spending his rookie season on the right side, he moved to the left last season and showed awesome promise; He was playing at a Pro Bowl-level near the end of the season before injury.

The worst thing the Cardinals could do for Johnson’s development would be to move him back to the right side, which would be forcing him to flip-flop in each season of his three-year career. They need to provide consistency for Johnson, who was always supposed to be their left tackle and looks the part.

Banks has no right tackle experience, which would make him nothing short of a gamble.

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State

Don’t get me wrong - it would be a ton of fun to reunite Marvin Harrison Jr. with his teammate at Columbus. However, that may be a bit more of a “luxury“ pick in the first round.

I personally have no questions about Egbuka and he’s actually a personal favor of mine — especially given his perceived value. There’s more than enough talent and upside that should/would get fans excited.

Receiver depth is a need too for this team with not much long-term potential on this roster after Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson. Arizona would certainly be filling a need by selecting Egbuka.

But with all that being said, the Buckeye standout still doesn’t fill the receiver room’s biggest need to add deep speed. Egbuka is one of the most talented RAC receivers in this class and is a hard guy to bring down in the open field, but he doesn’t stretch the defense with breakaway speed — it’s never been his game and it’s unlikely it ever will be.

Considering how much of an Achilles heel it was last year for this offense to not have deep speed and a field stretcher, this isn’t the right pick at this point in time. It would be a ton of fun and give Kyler Murray another weapon, but they can only do so much with an entire level of the field unavailable.

Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia

Of these three picks, Williams is the one that I am the most pleased with.

But the reason he’s on this list is because the Cardinals need a day one impact and not a developmental player.

Although the reality is Williams has only missed three games in three seasons, he’s had foot surgery previously and played well under 100% for the majority of last season.

I am firmly in the camp that your best ability is availability. Williams has consistently been banged up throughout his career, which is slow down his development despite the tremendous upside he possesses.

Both of these players are massive projects with upside through the roof and then higher. It’s unlikely that either of them will realize their full potential as rookies, maybe even their first two seasons.

However, I trust this coaching staff to develop defensive talent, and firmly believe that either of these two could turn into studs.

This comes down to availability, and Williams has been banged up in two straight seasons.