2025 Draft Grades

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

It was a pretty good draft. The only pick I disagreed with was Cody Simon. So, when your biggest gripe is the 4th round selection, it seems like a good draft.

Having cbus not like an Ohio state player worries me a LOT.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I’m taking some heat from my draft evaluator friends. Seems the think Simon’s leadership skills will push him to the front of the ILBs. I still have my doubts but as a fan, I hope they have him pegged better than me.

This is nice to hear as a counter to cbus’ comment.

 

[PACardsFan]

Having cbus not like an Ohio state player worries me a LOT.

Not necessarily. I have a ton of OSU fan friends. They are a tough bunch to please with a very high bar of expectations. There are always pro’s AND con’s with a 4th round pick. I do think his cons are mostly offset by his fit into what JG runs.

 

[HammerCards]

Do the Rams think they're the only team that will be going after the top QB in 2026?

There will be some teams full on tanking this year to get the #1 pick, but Rams will likely start off drafting in the 20s next April.

And can we please see if Arch Manning can put together one successful college season before we anoint him as the next great NFL QB?

omg the hype train is completely, completely out of control for this kid.

The ASU qb may be the top prize come next April.

 

[Crimson Warrior]

The ASU qb may be the top prize come next April.

Is he as good as Jake the Snake Plummer?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Is he as good as Jake the Snake Plummer?

He should be better.

Next year is being looked at as a good QB draft too. So I hope if the club is making a decision on Kyler it becomes crystallized this season.

 

[Delmar M Lewis]

I forget which site it was ( think Walter football) has the Cards taking the qb from LSU

 

[unseenaz]

The ASU qb may be the top prize come next April.

Gonna need Sam at ASU for 2 more seasons. THEN he can join the Cardinals, as a national champ and Heisman!

 

[gimpy]

Should of taken him last year.

 

[Harry]

Should of taken him last year.

Threatening Murray going into a potential playoff season likely makes them hesitant

 

[Harry]

PFN’s final assessments

2025 NFL Draft Grades: Your One-Stop Shop for Analysis and Insights on Every Pick | PFSN

The 2025 NFL Draft is now complete! We've graded all 257 picks based on player and positional value, along with an overall grade for each eam.

www.profootballnetwork.com

 

[MadCardDisease]

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[MadCardDisease]

2025 NFL Draft: Ranking all 32 rookie classes; plus, overall grades, favorite picks and Day 3 sleepers

Rank
10

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Arizona Cardinals

• Round 1 (No. 16): DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi
• Round 2 (No. 47): CB Will Johnson, Michigan
• Round 3 (No. 78): Edge Jordan Burch, Oregon
• Round 4 (No. 115): LB Cody Simon, Ohio State
• Round 5 (No. 174): CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State
• Round 6 (No. 211): OG Hayden Conner, Texas
• Round 7 (No. 225): S Kitan Crawford, Nevada

GRADE: B+​

Monti Ossenfort took big swings on pedigreed talent early, and I’m here for it. Fresh off an 8-9 season with improvement across the board in Year 2 of the Jonathan Gannon experience, Arizona feels like a team that could be a spicy addition (or two) away from breaking through. Walter Nolen and Will Johnson could fit that bill. Nolen, who trumped Travis Hunter as ESPN’s No. 1 overall prospect in the recruiting class of 2022, was a polarizing player in the pre-draft process due to his unrefined technique. But nobody could deny the titillating flashes of game-wreckage -- and those came more often after his transfer from Texas A&M to Ole Miss last year, ultimately leading to his selection in the top half of Round 1. Meanwhile, Johnson is the most pedigreed, polished outside cornerback in this draft class, but Ian Rapoport reported during the first round that the Michigan product had a knee issue that was red-flagged for longevity concerns, thus explaining why he lasted until Pick No. 47. Again, Ossenfort swung from the heels on Thursday and Friday night, but I like the odds on these gambles.

FAVORITE PICK​

Will Johnson, cornerback. Before the draft, you could have told me the Cardinals would take Johnson with their first selection at No. 16 overall and I wouldn’t have batted an eye. Not only does the decorated corner offer prototypical size and silky smoothness in coverage, but his instinctive game feels tailor-made for Arizona’s zone-heavy scheme. I’m not here to play doctor -- Johnson very well could have long-term health concerns. But in the here and now of this draft evaluation, the refined talent is quite alluring.

SLEEPER​

Denzel Burke, cornerback. Despite the fact Burke earned all-Big Ten recognition in each of his four college seasons, his Ohio State tenure was a roller-coaster ride. On some level, though, isn’t that just life as a cornerback? Alright, that’s too neat. But with 51 career starts for the Buckeyes, Burke has too much high-level experience to not look attractive at the tail end of Round 5.

 

[Harry]

Drafting 16 & ranking 10 seems pretty decent.

 

[cardinals2025]

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SEA got an A.

SF got a D.

LAR got B+

Interesting considering PFF was often notorious in giving Cardinals players bad grades prior to Gannon’s arrival.

 

[Cheesebeef]

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SEA got an A.

SF got a D.

LAR got B+

Interesting considering PFF was often notorious in giving Cardinals players bad grades prior to Gannon’s arrival.

Were they really notorious or were we just terrible before Gannon and had lots of players deserving of bad grades?

 

[cardinals2025]

Were they really notorious or were we just terrible before Gannon and had lots of players deserving of bad grades?

Both! There is a reason why alot of us hated PFF the last few years. They are somewhat inconsistent but also yeah there is usually some bias to certain teams and players.

I really hope we do well this year so fans reactions to non-state media giving us good grades can stop finding ways to make it a negative.

 

[BACH]

Interesting considering PFF was often notorious in giving Cardinals players bad grades prior to Gannon’s arrival.

PFF metrics and analytics aligns well with how Monti drafts.

Productive players from big school combined with high RAS scores.

Nolan was their #7 player. Johnson their #14 player.

 

[daves]

PFF metrics and analytics aligns well with how Monti drafts.

Productive players from big school combined with high RAS scores.

Nolan was their #7 player. Johnson their #14 player.

Here's a "fun" trip down memory lane. Remember how much PFF liked Keim's 2019 draft? (A little emphasis added

Day 1:

Arizona seemingly drafted with Pro Football Focus’ 2019 NFL Draft Guide in hand for Days 1 and 2, starting with PFF’s No. 1 overall player Kyler Murray. The former Oklahoma signal-caller is a game-changer any way you slice it. Whether he’s throwing or running the football, Murray is a premier talent that can change the game on any one play.

Day 2:

PFF’s top cornerback and No. 6 overall player, Byron Murphy is a steal at pick No. 33 for the Cards. He’s best-suited for a zone-heavy scheme given his closing speed and instincts, and he’s also a very aggressive cornerback despite his small stature. He and Patrick Peterson should form quite the duo in 2019.

Another PFF favorite, Massachusetts wide receiver Andy Isabella earned the highest overall grade we’ve ever given a receiver in the PFF College era (2014-Present) in 2018. He’s a speedy deep threat that should pair well with Murray.

At the top of the third round, Arizona snagged a versatile defensive line product in Boston College’s Zach Allen. He can play inside or outside at the next level. He was one of the best run defenders in college football in 2017 before he earned a 90.3 pass-rushing grade this past season. He was an ironman for BC, playing 107 snaps against Wake Forest in 2018.

Day 3:

Surprising no one, the Cardinals’ brass continued to add value on Day 3. Deionte Thompson and Lamon Gaillard were both value picks, finishing at No. 66 and No. 106 on PFF’s final big board.

Among draft-eligible FBS centers with at least 400 offensive snaps played in 2018, Gaillard ranked inside the top-10 in overall grade (78.2) and run-blocking grade (77.1). He also earned an impressive 77.9 pass-blocking grade in 2018, allowing just eight total pressures across 353 pass-blocking snaps.

Thompson, though he didn’t wow anyone with his testing, makes up for at least some of what he lacks in speed and athleticism with great instincts. He has a great vision head start – dubbed VHS by PFF’s own Sam Monson. He trusts what he sees and flies to the ball both in coverage and in run defense.

Iowa State wide receiver Hakeem Butler, the Cards’ pick at No. 103 and PFF’s No. 42 overall player, was a fantastic selection, as well. Butler’s size (6-foot-5, 227 pounds) might suggest a possession receiver, but he had more receptions 20-plus yards downfield (19) than anyone in the draft class.

DRAFT GRADE: EXCELLENT

 

[BACH]

Both! There is a reason why alot of us hated PFF the last few years. They are somewhat inconsistent but also yeah there is usually some bias to certain teams and players.

I really hope we do well this year so fans reactions to non-state media giving us good grades can stop finding ways to make it a negative.

If you listen to Check the Mics podcast that is two former pff senior analysts they sometimes talk about the the process of improving the model and how it was not always good in the early days.

And also that their model is better being accurate at some positions than others. The example they give is that is hands down the best at 1st edge and hands down the worst at later round edge

 

[reebokalone2001]

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SEA got an A.

SF got a D.

LAR got B+

Interesting considering PFF was often notorious in giving Cardinals players bad grades prior to Gannon’s arrival.

I thought Keim just used PFF draft board back in the days, e. g. 2019.

 

[BirdGangThing]

I thought Keim just used PFF draft board back in the days, e. g. 2019.

pfft

 

[cardinals2025]

Here's a "fun" trip down memory lane. Remember how much PFF liked Keim's 2019 draft? (A little emphasis added

Byron Murphy is playing really well right now.

Yeah I forgot Kyler sucks.

Zach Allen had 8 sacks last season.

What is your point?

 

[daves]

What is your point?

Didn't seem that complicated.

@BACH said that "PFF metrics and analytics aligns well with how Monti drafts." I pointed out that PFF metrics and analytics used to align well with how Keim drafted, too ("Arizona seemingly drafted with Pro Football Focus’ 2019 NFL Draft Guide in hand")... and then I provided examples showing that sometimes their metrics are hilariously bad, as evidenced by the bolded quotes:

"Andy Isabella earned the highest overall grade we’ve ever given a receiver"

"Hakeem Butler, the Cards’ pick at No. 103 and PFF’s No. 42 overall player, was a fantastic selection"

And of course... Their #1 graded player Murray is not looking like the franchise QB we all hoped for.

I liked the Cardinals' draft and am optimistic about the upcoming season, but just aligning with PFF's metrics is not automatically a good thing.

 

[Ronin]

We didn’t pick any NMSU players so this draft gets an F- from me.