For the second year in a row, Pro Football Focus was impressed by what the Cardinals did in the draft.
The analytics site gave General Manager Steve Keim and Co. an A+ for their work over the three days, as the Cardinals joined the Cowboys, Broncos and Browns as the only teams with that grade.
The first-round selection of linebacker Isaiah Simmons was widely lauded, and Pro Football Focus echoed that praise.
"Simmons' ability to blur the linebacker/safety positional designation is going to be a defensive coordinator's best friend at the next level," PFF analyst Mike Renner said in his pre-draft writeup. "Simmons is the definition of what you want in a modern linebacker."
Pro Football Focus is also bullish on third-round pick Josh Jones, who it had rated as the fourth-best offensive tackle and No. 14 overall player in the draft class. If Jones can come anywhere close to that projection, he will be a steal at No. 72 overall.
Finally, on Day 3, Leki Fotu was the player PFF seemed most intrigued about. The Cardinals needed more pieces on the defensive line, and he seems like a natural addition to clog up the middle against run-heavy formations.
The draft is an inexact science, and praise now does not equate to success in the fall, but Keim was noticeably happy with his haul, and PFF agreed once again.
