ESPN's Mel Kiper doesn't love Arizona Cardinals' draft but gives it solid grade

[ASFN Admin]

The 2025 NFL draft is complete and now early grades are coming in. Some really like what the Arizona Cardinals did with their seven-player draft. Others were less optimistic.

ESPN's Mel Kiper didn't love the Cardinals' draft but didn't hate it. In his 2025 NFL draft grades, he gave them a B-plus.

Kiper felt taking defensive lineman Walter Nolen 16th overall was a little high and is concerned about his consistency of play from down to down. However, he loved the pick of cornerback Will Johnson in the second round.

He thought that linebacker Cody Simon, the Cardinals' fourth-round pick, should have gone a round later and believed that guard Hayden Conner, the Cardinals' sixth-round pick, would go undrafted.

He isn't sure any of the Cardinals' Day 3 picks (Simon, Conner, CB Denzel Burke, S Kitan Crawford) will have any impact.

Overall, GM Monti Ossenfort tried to beef up a clear weakness, and I can't fault him there. I'm surprised he didn't take a wideout in a class full of solid players, though. If Johnson becomes a starter, this class could be just fine.

It is understandable wondering why they didn't take a receiver. Their roster behind 2024 No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison is unproven at best. But the Cardinals believe in the players they currently have there in Michael Wilson, Zay Jones, Greg Dortch and 2024 undrafted rookie Xavier Weaver.

Kiper's B-plus is slightly lower than my A-minus, but overall it was a solid draft.

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This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: NFL draft grades: Mel Kiper likes, doesn't love Cardinals' draft class

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