The Cardinals made no more trades. And they didn't get a quarterback.

Those were the top two things on the possibilities list going into the draft, in part because of Paxton Lynch and his presence at the back half of the first round. If Lynch had been on the board for the Cardinals, it would have been intriguing -- would a team tried to trade up for him with a sweet deal? Or might the Cardinals go ahead and take him as that long-awaited shot at a QB of the future? But it became moot when the Broncos traded up to 26 to get Lynch.

After that, the Cards didn't have the capital to trade up into the second round and didn't see a reason to move back. Meanwhile, if there were other quarterbacks around in whom the Cards had interest, they didn't excite them enough to pull the trigger. And frankly, once you get to the fourth or fifth round, those QBs left are likely backups at best.

Instead, the Cards went heavy on defense, and heavy on the secondary. You can say what you want about needs and best player available, but often for teams those things dovetail as they set their draft board and it's really not a surprise the Cards ended up with a potential starting center and depth in the secondary, in addition to an upgrade on special teams.

-- All things considered, Robert Nkemdiche should be an excellent piece if he can go hard and stay away from any off-field issues. There's a reason someone so physically gifted was there at No. 29. The reality is he would have gone soon after if the Cards hadn't picked him, so the Cardinals didn't stretch to take him. But they need something out of him this season, and he he needs to become that guy on the defensive line as that position evolves over the next couple of seasons.

-- All three of the defensive backs taken are in the same mold: Brandon Williams, Marqui Christian and Harlan Miller have speed, can significantly help on special teams, and aren't ready to drop in and play a major role on defense yet. The Cards have had success in this area with Justin Bethel, but in truth they still need Bethel to become a better cornerback and not just a Pro Bowl special teams guy.

-- I like that Christian won the Cliff Harris award for the nation's best defensive player in small college (Divisions II, III and NAIA) and I like that Adrian Wilson was impressed by him at a college all-star game. Wilson has a talent for scouting -- Keim wouldn't have given him this job if he didn't believe that -- and we will see if he has forecasted correctly.

-- Would the Cardinals have liked Ryan Kelly at center? I'm sure. But I think the pick of Evan Boehm makes so much sense. He's got the credentials, even as a fourth-rounder, and he's got the mentality that not only fits Bruce Arians but Harold Goodwin. Lyle Sendlein started for many years as an undrafted rookie. It's easy to picture Boehm doing the same.

-- Does the youth at cornerback mean the Cardinals bring back Jerraud Powers? Arians said they don't need to add any vets. If he did come back, do they keep five cornerbacks (Peterson, Bethel, Powers and the two draftees)? Last year they only had three cornerbacks on the roster because they kept five safeties.

-- Among the positions I'd expect the Cards to hit in the undrafted rookie market: long snapper, quarterback, wide receiver. All three things weren't hit in the draft. They will need another arm behind center and they certainly need a long snapper.

-- That's it. We'll see how this draft class truly pans out around the 2019 season. In the meantime, rookie minicamp is next weekend.