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Cardinals 7th-round pick Kitan Crawford is dominating in preseason

Originally posted on Burn City Sports
By Tanner Tortorella | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 1:43 PM ET

GLENDALE – When pick 225 of the 2025 NFL draft came along for the Arizona Cardinals, many fans likely had their TVs off and enjoying the weekend. However, general manager Monti Ossenfort and his staff were lasered in on the Nevada safety prospect Kitan Crawford, who through two preseason game has been the team’s best rookie.

Crawford was expected to make the roster before preseason, as his work in training camp earned him a spot on special teams. However, the 23-year-old has made critical plays in each of the preseason games, which could open the doors for him to play more reps on defense.

Can Crawford’s role expand with Cardinals?

In the preseason opener, the Kansas City Chiefs were charging to retake the lead from Arizona when quarterback bailey Zappe high pointed a ball towards the endzone that Crawford snatched from the wide receiver’s hands. An insane display of athleticism from the 5’11 safety. At the NFL Combine, Crawford was near the top of every drill, with a 41.5″ vertical jump and a 4.41 40-yard dash.

In Saturday’s game against the Denver Broncos, Crawford continued being a force in the secondary. He was second in tackles and tied for the most solo tackles on the team. The quick-footed safety has a stellar defensive IQ, understanding plays pre-snap and reacting to the quarterbacks movements.

The Cardinals looked to have gotten a steal in the final round of the 2025 draft, which the team badly needed with the injuries piling up in the secondary to last year’s starters.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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