Cheryl Evans/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cardinals round-by-round recap of 2025 NFL draft

Originally posted on Burn City Sports
By Tanner Tortorella | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 8:09 PM ET

GLENDALE – Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has to be smiling after a stellar performance at the 2025 NFL draft. Saturday concluded the three-day event at Lambeau Field, and many media outlets will have Arizona as one of the biggest winners in the draft.

The Cardinals went defense-heavy, with six of their seven picks being on the defensive side of the ball. Ossenfort addressed the defensive early with 1st round pick out of Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen. The following rounds saw Ossenfort get some talented defensive backs to bolster the secondary, including Michigan’s Will Johnson, who fell because of an apparent knee injury.

The pieces fell perfectly for the franchise to have one of its best defensive classes in the past few years. The full breakdown of each pick is below:

Cardinals picks in 2025 NFL draft:

Round 1 (16th): Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen

Round 2 (47th): Michigan CB Will Johnson

Round 3 (78th): Oregon Edge Jordan Burch

Round 4 (115th): Ohio State LB Cody Simon

Round 5 (174th): Ohio State CB Denzel Burke

Round 6 (211th): Texas OG Hayden Conner

Round 7th (225th): Nevada SAF Kitan Crawford

Entering this offseason, the Cardinals knew the defense needed a massive overhaul. Ossenfort addressed it early in free agency, spending big money on Pro Bowlers like Josh Sweat and Calais Campbell and doubling down in the draft. The front office didn’t draft any skill positions, trusting in franchise quarterback Kyler Murray with the weapons around him already.

Arizona hasn’t made the postseason or had a winning record since 2021. The 2025 season will be the first time in years that those expectations are put onto this team. Ossenfort did his job with filling out positional needs for head coach Jonathan Gannon. It’s now up to the third-year Cardinals coach to earn the results on the field.

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

More must-reads: