Cardinals Named NFC West Draft Winner

The Arizona Cardinals have been applauded by many for their efforts in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Those praises include what Pro Football Focus writer Bradley Locker had to say about the Cardinals. Locker declared Arizona as the NFC West winner of the draft.

"Much like the Panthers, the Cardinals took their porous defensive statistics last year to heart. General manager Monti Ossenfort splurged along his front in free agency and fortified all three levels even further in the draft," Locker wrote.

"Arizona landed three potential Day 1 starters in Walter Nolen (88.9 PFF overall grade), Will Johnson (76.7 PFF coverage grade) and Cody Simon (87.7 PFF overall grade), and the value on Johnson — widely regarded as the second-best true cornerback in this class — was outstanding at 47th overall. On top of that, Jordan Burch (81.3 PFF pass-rushing grade) and Denzel Burke (73.3 PFF overall grade) figure to serve as solid depth. The Cardinals entered draft weekend yearning for upgrades at cornerback, linebacker and defensive line, and they found that wholeheartedly.

"The 49ers, Seahawks and Rams also staked solid drafts of their own, but some questionable picks in middle rounds — namely choosing players who didn’t fully satisfy needs or were reaches — ranked their marks slightly behind Arizona’s. The Cardinals could legitimately boast an above-average defense next year, thanks to their efforts in only one offseason."

By investing a lot into the defense, the Cardinals have a chance to become competitive once again in the 2025 season. The offense has some question marks, but a veteran quarterback like Kyler Murray might be enough to keep that unit somewhat respectable for the upcoming season.

The defensive rookies will have to live up to the pre-draft hype, but given how head coach Jonathan Gannon has attacked this rebuild over the past two years, the Cardinals look to be in the best shape of their evolution since they were last in the playoffs.