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Re-Grading the Arizona Cardinals 2025 Draft

Originally posted on Football Analysis | By Aaron Sauter | Last updated Feb 20, 2026 11:20 PM ET

During the 2025 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals made a decision to go heavy with defensive draft picks to change the culture of their team. 6 out of the Cardinals 7 draft picks were all on the defensive side of the ball, and if the defense had had a great 2025 season the Cardinals draft strategy would have been viewed as innovative. However, the Arizona Cardinals went 3-14 during a season in which they had one of the NFL’s weakest strength of schedules.

So the question is, what went wrong for the Cardinals during a season that Arizona expected to be a breakout team in the NFC West? The first answer is that, offensively, the Cardinals’ pass protection was ineffective, resulting in 59 quarterback sacks. In addition, the Cardinals had inconsistent quarterback play, with Kyler Murray benched and backup Jacoby Brissett finishing the season as the starter. However, the real reason why the Cardinals fell flat after attempting to revamp their defense was that the young players they drafted could not stay healthy during the season.

Arizona Cardinals 2025 Draft Class

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1	16	Walter Nolen III	DT	Ole Miss
2	47	Will Johnson	CB	Michigan
3	78	Jordan Burch	EDGE	Oregon
4	115	Cody Simon	LB	Ohio State
5	174	Denzel Burke	CB	Ohio State
6	211	Hayden Conner	G	Texas
7	225	Kitan Crawford	S	Nevada

The crown jewel of the Cardinals’ 2025 draft class was defensive tackle Walter Nolen III. However, started the 2025 season with injuries that kept him out of action, and he finished the season on the injured reserve list. On the other hand, Nolen played in 6 games during the 2025 season, and during those games, he demonstrated his potential to become an elite defensive player in the NFL once he can stay healthy.

In contrast with Nolen, cornerback Will Johnson slid down the draft due to an injury. Still, he played well for the Cardinals and was arguably the team’s best defensive player when healthy in 2025. Additionally, 4th-round pick Cody Simon and 5th-round pick Denzel Burke both outplayed expectations, giving the Cardinals a pair of young, elite cornerbacks in Will Johnson and Denzel Burke. Cody Simon also demonstrated a high football IQ, enabling him to take over the play-calling duties on defense.

Arizona Cardinals 2025 Re-Grade = B

Ultimately, the Cardinals approached the 2025 draft with the intention of building the foundation for a great defense. However, injuries derailed those young players expected to elevate the Arizona defense. If they are healthy next season, the Cardinals’ defense could become a strong unit. On the other hand, the Cardinals did not address their pass protection issues on offense, which led to yet another change at the head coach position in Arizona. During the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cardinals will need to add offensive players to balance their team and become a legitimate contender in a tough NFC West division.

This article first appeared on Football Analysis and was syndicated with permission.

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