Three Bold Predictions for Cardinals' Rookie Class

The Arizona Cardinals welcomed seven rookies to their organization in the 2025 NFL Draft, as GM Monti Ossenfort dedicated nearly all his resources to a complete overhaul of the Cardinals' defensive front and secondary.

The Cardinals' new regime approaches rookies differently, and Ossenfort's draft philosophy has been a refreshing break from previous regimes' attempts to roster build.

There's plenty of potential in these rookies, and they could surprise Cardinals fans and media alike. Here are three bold predictions for Arizona's rookie class:

1: All Seven Rookies Play Significant Snaps

Maybe the latter 4-5 picks don't start games, but Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon view their rookies in a different light to what previous coaching staffs and front offices have in Cardinals history. They expect their young players to contribute right away.

Arizona's first two picks will either be day-one starters or immediate additions to a near-even rotation of veterans and young players. It might be hard for some of the later picks to find themselves playing many snaps on offense or defense, but even then, expect names like Kitan Crawford and Denzel Burke to have some positional flexibility and contribute on special teams if a role isn't there for them defensively.

The Cardinals don't hide their rookies. They have faith in them, even the day two and three picks.

2: LB Cody Simon Earns Starting Role

The Cardinals have had rough luck with their off-ball linebacker selection in the past, but LB Cody Simon out of, you guessed it, Ohio State, looks like a different type of prospect.

Simon didn't bank his entire worth on raw athleticism, or the false pretense that is "total versatility." No, Simon is a true Mike, with enough pass rushing and coverage ability to be used in a variety of ways without being a position-less player.

Simon racked up an immense number of tackles for a National Championship-winning Buckeye squad. He recorded 112 tackles, seven sacks, and seven passes defended.

Simon has the makeup and mentals to be a starting green dot linebacker. He'll have to beat out names like Akeem Davis-Gaither, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Davis-Gaither named the starter alongside Mack Wilson Sr. to open the year, but it would be a surprise to not see Simon wrest that job away as the season progressed.

Development is real with this coaching staff, and Simon has everything needed to be an immediate NFL-caliber middle linebacker.

3: Cardinals Have Two Defensive Rookie of the Year Candidates

The Cardinals made two elite selections with their first two picks, grabbing DL Walter Nolen III and CB Will Johnson with picks 16 and 47. Both players are exceptional athletes, with different outlooks for their rookie season.

Nolen has an extremely high ceiling as a pass rusher, but needs to see development at the NFL level. It's hard for interior DL to win awards, but if his sack production can live up to his raw ability, he could easily find himself among those nominated or mentioned in the DROY conversation.

Meanwhile, Johnson is a refined prospect, and an immediate NFL-caliber DB. If not for some concerning medicals, he was likely a first-round, perhaps even top-10 prospect.

He's already been mentioned in early DROY conversations, and if he plays up to his potential, it might not even be particularly close, barring a monstrous 10-plus-sack season by a pure pass rusher in his class.