2025 NFL Draft: What do the Cardinals need the most?

Who are your top 5 players for the Cardinals this year?

Arizona Cardinals’ GM Monti Ossenfort has indicated that he believes the roster, as it is currently constructed, is good to go. Kudos to Monti and his staff for creating a fresh kind of buzz for the Cardinals in the manner in which he handled the re-signing of the team’s key free agents and the signing of impactful unrestricted free agents.

While it is not out of the realm of possibility that Monti is correct about already having a roster that is playoff-worthy, the question is —-> could this year’s draft put the Cardinals in more auspicious and advantageous condition to win this season, and better yet, for years to come?

Let’s take a close look at the current roster.

Draft Picks by Position:

• QB – 1 (Clayton Tune)
• RB – 1 (Trey Benson)
• WR – 3 (Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Tejhuan Palmer)
• TE – 1 (Tip Reiman)
• T – 2 (Paris Johnson Jr., Christian Jones)
• G – 2 (Jon Gaines II, Isaiah Adams)
• C -0
• NT – 0
• DT – 2 (Dante Stills, Darius Robinson)
• ED – 2 (B.J. Ojulari, Xavier Thomas)
• ILB – 1 (Owen Pappoe)
• CB – 5 (Garrett Williams, Kei’trel Clark, Max Melton, Elijah Jones, Jaden Davis)
• S – 1 (Dadrion Taylor-Demerson)

CFAs, and waiver-wire claims:

• RB – 2 (Emari Demercado, Michael Carter)
• WR – 1 (Xavier Weaver)
• TE – 2 (Elijah Higgins, Travis Vokolek)
• ED – 1 (Benton Whitley)
• ILB – 1 (Vi Jones)
• CB – 1 (Starling Thomas V)
• S – 1 (Jammie Robinson)

UFA Signings and Contract Extensions

• QB – 1 (Jacoby Brissett)
• RB – 3 (James Conner, DeeJay Dallas, Bam Knight)
• WR – 6 (Greg Dortch, Zay Jones, Simi Fehoko, Quez Watkins, Trishton Jackson, Andre Baccellia)
• TE – 2 (Trey McBride, Bernhard Seikovits)
• T – 3 (Kelvin Beacham, Jonah Williams, Curtis McClendon)
• G – 5 (Evan Brown, Nick Leverett, Matthew Jones, Jake Curhan, Royce Newman)
• C – 2 (Hjalte Froholdt, Sincere Haynesworth)
• NT – 2 (Dalvin Tomlinson, PJ Mustipher)
• DT – 5 (Justin Jones, Bilall Nichols, L.J. Collier, Ben Stille, Calais Campbell)
• ED – 4 (Zaven Collins, Baron Browning, Josh Sweat, Elliot Brown)
• ILB – 4 (Mack Wilson Sr., Milo Eifler, Akeen Davis-Gaither, Mykal Walker)
• CB – 3 (Sean Murphy-Bunting, Jaylon Jones, Ekow Boye-Doe)
• S – 3 (Budda Baker, Joey Blount, Darren Hall)
• K – 1 (Chad Ryland)
• LS – 1 (Aaron Brewer)
• P – 1 (Blake Gillikin)

Players on Long-Term Contracts:

• QB Kyler Murray
• S Jalen Thompson

Current Position Depth:

• QB – 3
• RB – 6
• WR – 10
• TE – 5
• T -5
• G – 7
• C – 3
• NT – 3
• DT – 7
• ED – 7
• ILB – 6
• CB – 9
• S – 6
• ST – 3

80 players

Offensive Needs:

1. G —- to challenge the current starters Evan Brown and Isaiah Adams
2. T —- to challenge Christian Jones as potential RTOF

Defensive Needs:

1. ILB —- to challenge Akeem Davis-Gaither for starting spot at MIKE
2. NT —- to give the team a stronger chance to defend the run, beef up the goal line and help collapse the pocket —- plus to give the unit some much-needed youth
3. DT —- inside pass rusher
4. ED —- to challenge Zaven Collins at SOLB and emerge as a dynamic nickel pass rusher

Top 5 Guards: (by nfl.com)

2025 NFL Draft Tracker | 2025 Draft Prospects | NFL.com

Bold: Players the Cardinals have had close visits/ties with

1. Donovan Jackson, Ohio St. —- 6.39 —- Justin Frye
2. Tyler Booker, Alabama —- 6.38
3. Grey Zabel, North Dakota St. —- 6.34
4. Tate Rutledge, Georgia —- 6.28
5. Marcus Mbow, Purdue —- 6.25

Top 5 Tackles:

1. Armand Membou, Missouri —- 6.49
2. Will Campbell, LSU —- 6.44
3. Kelvin Banks, Jr., Texas —- 6.43 —- Top 30
4. Josh Simmons, Ohio St. —- 6.39 —- Top 30
5. Josh Conerly, Jr., Oregon —- 6.36

Top 5 ILBs:

1. Jalon Walker, Georgia —- 6.45 —- Top 30
2. Jihaad Campbell, Alabama —- 6.39 —- Top 30
3. Demitrius Knight Jr., South Carolina —- 6.36
4. Carson Schwesinger, UCLA —- 6.36
5. Smael Mondon Jr., Georgia —- 6.31

Top 5 NTs:

1. Tyleik Williams, Ohio St. —- 6.35
2. Kenneth Grant, Michigan —- 6.34
3. T.J. Sanders, South Carolina —- 6.30
4. Alfred Collins, Texas —- 6.27
5. Darius Alexander, Toledo —- 6.17

Top 7 ED:

1. Abdul Carter, Penn St. —- 7.00
2. Mykel Williams, Georgia —- 6.47 —- Top 30
3. Mike Green, Marshall —- 6.46
4. Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M —- 6.41 —- Top 30
5. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College —- 6.40
6. James Pierce, Jr., Tennessee, 6.40 —- Top 30
7. Nic Scourton, Texas A&M —- 6.40 —- Top 30

Top 5 DT Pass Rushers:

1. Walter Nolen, Mississippi —- 6.50 —- Top 30
2. Mason Graham, Michigan —- 6.48 —- Combine
3. Derrick Harmon, Oregon —- 6.38 —- Combine
4. Shemar Turner, Texas A&M —- 6.30 —- Top 30
5. Joshua Farmer, Florida St. —- 6.29 —-

Cardinals Visits Tracker (Walter Football)

• Darius Alexander, Defensive Tackle, Toledo (T30)
• Trey Amos, Cornerback, Ole Miss (T30)
• Kelvin Banks, Offensive Guard, Texas (T30)
• Brice Bass, Outside Linebacker, Texas State (PRO)
• Anthony Belton, Offensive Tackle, N.C. State (T30)
• Andre Biggers, Defensive Tackle, Georgia Tech (PRO)
• Jihaad Campbell, Linebacker, Alabama (T30)
• Matthew Golden, Wide Receiver, Texas (COM)
• Kenneth Grant, Defensive Tackle, Michigan (T30)
• Will Johnson, Cornerback, Michigan (T30)
• KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Wide Receiver, Auburn (T30)
• Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle, Ole Miss (T30)
• Oluwafemi Oladejo, Outside Linebacker, UCLA (T30)
• James Pearce Jr., Defensive End, Tennessee (T30)
• Ty Robinson, Defensive Tackle, Nebraska (T30)
• T.J. Sanders, Defensive Tackle, South Carolina (T30)
• Nic Scourton, Defensive End, Texas A&M (T30)
• Josh Simmons, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State (T30)
• Dorian Singer, Wide Receiver, Utah (LOC)
• Cam Skattebo, Running Back, Arizona State (LOC)
• Jaylin Smith, Cornerback, USC (T30)
• Shemar Stewart, Defensive End, Texas A&M (T30)
• Danny Striggow, Outside Linebacker, Minnesota (PRO)
• Shemar Turner, Defensive Tackle, Texas A&M (T30)
• Princely Umanmielen, Defensive End, Ole Miss (T30)
• Jalon Walker, Outside Linebacker, Georgia (T30)
• Jordan Williams, Offensive Tackle, Georgia Tech (PRO)
• Mykel Williams, Defensive End, Georgia (T30)

Wild Cards:

• WR Matthew Golden, Texas —- 6.42
• WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio St. —- 6.37
• CB Will Johnson, Michigan —- 6.50
• CB Jahdae Barron, Texas —- 6.42

Your Top 5? (Given that Abdul carter, Mason Graham, Jalon Walker and Armand Membou will be well off the board by pick #16?

Just tweeted out to @gambo987 to get the Gambo 5. Will post it in the comments section here when possible.

Mitch 5:

1. Kenneth Grant. He helped change the culture and level of play at Michigan and formed a dynamic duo with Mason Graham that helped the Wolverines win their first Natty in decades. Jim Harbaugh calls Grant “God’s gift to football.” because of his rare pedigree. Instantly improves our run stopping, pass rush (dude collapses pockets and is very underrated as a pass rusher) and makes us rock solid in short-yardage and goal line situations. Plus, he swats down passes like JJ Watt.

Seeing as the Cardinals were drooling over Milton Williams, they should be double drooling over Kenneth Grant because he is a prodigious force to be reckoned with in thumping both the run and the pass.

2. Jihaad Campbell. Just ask Mack!

Walter B J Mitchell@WBJMItch

Apr 18

“Almost the exact same pre-draft eval of Fred Warner, only with Jihaad Campbell being a better blitzer. It’s rare to find a 3-down ILB coming into the NFL who excels in both run stopping and pass coverage (zone and man). What Jihaad has is a gifted athletic profile, the “want to” and keen leadership skills. His “A” grades in Speed, Acceleration, COD, Agility, Man Coverage, Blitzing and Tackling make him imminently qualified to be a star in the NFL, especially if he plays behind a line that can, for the most part, keep him clean (which is so true for any ILB in today’s NFL). I would add too that his 6-3, 244 frame and being able to run 4.52 with a 1.53 10-yard split makes him especially appealing, particularly for heavy zone teams like the Cardinals. By comparison, Fred Warner is 6-3, 236 and runs a 4.65, 1.55 10-yard split.”

Jihaad’s 30 pass stops led the nation.

3. Walter Nolen. This —->

4. Donovan Ezeiruaku. Would be even all-around better in JG’s and Nick Rallis’ defense than Hasson Reddick was. Seeing every one of EZ’s BC snaps has convinced me of him in the Reddick role, big-time.

5. Nic Scourton. He may be the best kept secret in this draft class. Top competitor with prolific strength and athletic reflexes —->

Those are my 5, which 5 players are yours? We’ve all got our dawgs in this race!