On SI Mock Draft: Why Cardinals Skip Pass Rusher

The Arizona Cardinals find themselves in a sweet spot with the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

With a variety of needs ranging from the offensive line to edge rusher, there's plenty of strong options for Arizona to evaluate with their first-round pick. Every year top talent gets pushed out of the top ten, and 2025 shouldn't be any different.

In our On SI mock draft, the Cardinals found themselves with some pretty strong options - really no wrong answers - though a decision had to be made.

Arizona desperately needs a top edge rusher to take their defense to the next level, though with one of the draft's best prospects sitting in their lap, we decided to opt for another avenue.

Why Cardinals Pass on Edge Rusher in First Round

Yours truly picking for the Cardinals chose Michigan DL Kenneth Grant over the likes of Georgia LB's Jalon Walker/Mykel Williams and Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart/Nic Scourton.

For what it's worth, Ole Miss' Walter Nolen was still on the board, too. Tennessee's James Pearce and Marshall's Mike Green were gone before the Cardinals were on the clock.

There's two main reasons why Arizona chose to bolster the defensive line: They're likely grabbing a veteran pass rusher in free agency, and this class is considered quite deep at the position - as evidenced by draft guru Daniel Jeremiah, who outlined three targets for Arizona past the first round.

Games are won and lost in the trenches - the Cardinals found that out all too well in 2024 after being dominated up front in the back half of the season. Arizona doesn't have any notable pieces in the defensive interior besides a sprouting Dante Stills.

Needless to say, the Cardinals need a game-wrecker along the defensive line, and that's exactly what Grant projects as at the next level.