We are done with the draft. Looks like the Cardinals got some good players. Do I know for sure? Nope. Nobody does, one way or the other. Something tells me I will be addressing such in this week's mailbag. Questions have been edited for length and clarity. Don't forget to send a question for a future mailbag with at least a first name and last initial.
From John T:
"Now that the draft has completed are you or were you aware of the defensive draft scheme of Monti? To say the least I am so very happy that after free agency and this 2025 draft we have addressed our biggest weakness. We need stops and turnovers so our offense can have reduced pressure to score every time we have the ball. Now in 2025 our defense lives up to MO's vision all the pressure will be on one player: The QB."
There technically was no "defensive draft scheme." Monti talked about how the draft fell, and I believe that to be true. Had, for instance, Kelvin Banks or Tyler Booker been there in the first round, we might be having a different discussion (I don't know that for a fact, but ...). Certainly I think the second round with Will Johnson was a case of way too much value for which to pass. As I said in the aftermath, the first four picks were all ones the Cardinals were likely going to address, so I don't know why that was weird to anyone. They got a guard in the sixth round. They took a special teams ace in the seventh. So to me, the only pick you wonder about was Denzel Burke in the fifth, but again, if you see a dude you see as having significant upside compared to others on the board at that point, you don't pass.
I do like where the defense sits. The Cardinals' offense needs the linemen drafted the past two years to step up. That's why they were drafted in the first place.
From Lonnie K:
"Hi Darren. We did very good with our draft, I'm happy with the attention to our defense. Do you think we need to add a 4.4- receiver to give MHJ more field to work with, or will his second-year development be enough for our WR room? Thanks."
Need? No. If they hadn't already made that a priority -- in which case it would've happened in early FA or the draft -- then clearly they don't see it that way. We got that sense already back in March. I do believe the most important thing for the receiving corps is for Harrison to make his expected second-year leap. You can always improve a position. I'm not saying there will not be an add. But I don't see them being panicked about the situation.
From JD Lair:
"Hey Darren. I really like the Walter Nolen III pick at 16. Do you think Monti liked him so much that he took him rather than a position that was maybe a bigger need such as edge or guard?
I think in the first round, you take the player who you think has the greatest upside (among the spots you are seeking; not if it is a fullback.) Guard is usually not a first-round guy. I have no problem with any of the picks, because -- as I will address in a question a little lower in this mailbag -- I don't have all the information Monti does. Makes no sense to take an edge or guard over a defensive tackle that you see being a game-changer (or more of one). That's what happened here.
From David B:
"I must comment on the Cardinals draft strategy. I thought the first 3 picks were excellent, but the last 4 were marginal. I know the head coach is defense-oriented, but 6 of 7 selections being on that side of the ball is IMO ridiculous, especially given all the good D talent we got in free agency. In Rd 4, Simon might be a good LB, but I was anticipating an IOL or WR. Still on the board were WRs Lane, Royals, Ayomanor, and Horton—all fast with reasonable or better height. On the OL were Mbow, Frazier, and Slater -- all quite highly rated. Then, they trade back 22 spots in the 5th to add a 6th rounder -- bad deal IMO. I know you'll disagree, but hey, a long-time fan has his opinion."
Yes, you can have your opinion. Not sure I agree that you "must comment." You literally don't. If you want to send something in, fine. Normally, I try not to even take this kind of entry because you aren't even asking questions. You want to vent, and that's for message boards. This is not that.
But I am running with this, and in this case, I must comment on your comment. "Ridiculous" is pretty strong. I am going to assume, and correct me if I am wrong, you have not watched significant video of all these players nor have you spent any time with them or anyone that has worked with them, so other than having online scouting reports (those same reports that had, among other predictions, Will Johnson in the first round and Shadeur Sanders definitely before Day 3) you don't really have much of a foundation to say what a guy like Mbow or Frazier will do in the NFL compared to Burke or Conner. (Neither do I, just so we are clear.)
They don't trade back unless they are comfortable passing up on who they could've gotten either. So obviously there was not a love for Mbow or Slater or Frazier, all of whom went in that area. (Or at least, they didn't project them to be better than Isaiah Adams and/or Royce Newman and/or Jake Curhan, who are already on the roster. And in the fifth round, that's totally feasible.) Those guys also were *not* highly rated per se; most analysts felt the OL in this draft dropped noticeably after the first five or six guys.
Again, maybe one will prove pretty good. Maybe Burke won't be that guy. There will be misses in this draft. That's inevitable. But the Cardinals put months of work into this. Hey, just my opinion.
From Matt H:
"Howdy Darren! Long-time Cardinals fan here. Thank you for the draft coverage! My question today is about about draft-day trades. Stoked for our picks, but feeling a little unsettled about the Panthers jumping one spot ahead of us in Round 3 and snatching edge Princeley Umanmielen! The Panthers moved up seven or so spots, so they had a hunch that their guy would get picked. Where does that hunch come from? Is it public information that the Cards possibly met with him? How much information do teams have on other teams?"
Agents leak visits, so it might not be a secret about a visit. But Umanmielen was an edge, and the Cardinals still hadn't drafted an edge in the third round, and they sure seemed likely to take one, so yes, the Panthers might've thought they could miss out if they didn't get in front of the Cardinals. That said, who knows if the Cardinals even liked him ahead of Burch? I don't know that. Or maybe they had the two of them lumped together pretty close and they knew one or the other would be there for the taking. I won't say the Cardinals have never been usurped for a player by a team coming up (*coughMahomescough*) but I am thinking this draft was so deep at edge they had multiple guys they were willing to grab.
From Juan de la Peña:
"Hi Darren! Do you think Bilal Nichols or Justin Jones are candidates for release after the FA/Draft? Also, could you tell us who the top snappers will be this season at DT and CB, in your opinion? A pleasure as always, thank you very much."
No, Nichols and Jones will be on the roster. The Cardinals signed them for a reason and their contracts are also as such that it wouldn't make sense to move on -- and besides I think Jonathan Gannon likes the idea of having them around. They want numbers on the defensive line. I assume you mean from those spots who will play the most snaps? The defensive line is going to be a rotation. They are all going to play a ton. But if you ask me the top five if everyone is healthy, I will guess Campbell, Tomlinson, Nolen, Robinson and Jones. At cornerback, I think you invested second-round picks in Max Melton and Will Johnson for a reason, and Garrett Williams has been very good.
But a lot can happen between now and games, and Gannon wants to see playing time earned.
From Paul G:
"Hey Darren. I can't help but feel nervous about Walter Nolen. The primary comment about him among scouting circles is that he can dominate when he feels like it and that's a terrifying prospect, when once upon a time we took another hot/cold DT from Ole Miss. All I can do is trust Monti and JG know how to read a guy. My question is where do criticisms like that come from? Also, now that Dortch has signed his tender, it confirms that we plan to go with the same offensive unit for 2025. Yet most who follow the team would agree that the offense underachieved in 2024. What areas do you think JG and Drew Petzing need to show improvement to make us a playoff team? Games are won and lost on two to three critical plays. I would love to see Drew get a little more creative with all the weapons he has at his disposal."
Nolen, like any player, has crossed paths with dozens of people in his playing career. That's why teams try so hard to talk with so many of them in trying to get a sense of a guy. What a teammate or trainer might have seen out of Nolen as an 18-year-old at Texas A&M might be different than what a coach saw at Ole Miss when Nolen was 20. That's what teams must sift through. Ossenfort and Gannon aren't taking a guy who they don't believe in. I get when people bring up Robert Nkemdiche, but the Cardinals were in a much different place, and that was taking a guy who had *much* bigger red flags. It doesn't mean mistakes can't be made -- Nkemdiche fooled a lot of Cardinals people in the pre-draft process -- but I also really like the group Nolen will be playing with to help him. And I believe he is more driven than Nkemdiche, who never seemed into it from jump.
As for the offense, yes, games are won and lost on two or three plays, but what plays? Maybe they come on defense? Maybe the playcall on offense is the right one but the players don't execute? The idea that those two or three plays are mostly because of offensive playcalls doesn't ring true to me. I think the whole offense -- Petzing included -- needs to be better and more consistent. But I am a players play kind of guy.
From Gary Salmon:
"Hi Darren. To echo the sentiments of a veteran NFL player, what's the point of all the offseason programs? I was looking at that schedule you posted and it just seems odd when you think about it. What's the value of a punctuated and random three-day camp? We have a three-day rookie camp, two weeks later another three-day camp, a week later another three-day camp, a week later minicamp, and then more off time until camp starts. What's the point of these random three-day camps other than to interrupt the offseason?"
OK, let's make something clear. The dates are of the main on-field moments of the offseason, but it does not encompass the entire offseason program. There are days set up, three but mostly four days a week, from the beginning of the program until the end of the mandatory minicamp. Those not on the dates article include a ton of meeting time to go through an initial install, Phase One (strength and conditioning work) and Phase Two (field work where the offense and defense is not allowed to go against each other but they can walk through plays) in addition to the OTAs on the docket.
As always, the point is that practice makes, if not perfect, a lot better.
From Michael T:
"Hello Darren. Thanks again for the opportunity to ask a question. It's time to envision our 2025 team. With all the additions to the defense, do you think it's enough to overcome the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers to a winning division record?"
The Cardinals have done a nice job upgrading the roster. They have no reason not to compete; heck, they were in first place after 10 games last year and just didn't finish.
From Tom Cowley:
"Hi Darren. Confused to the undrafted free agents signed this week? Have seen several names but nothing official. Loved our draft, wish them all good luck/health."
You jumped the gun there, Tom. Just needed some patience. The UDFAs are never announced until, at the earliest, the Monday after the draft.
From Mike White:
"Any new developments on No. 7? Would sure love to see him back in red."
With the drafting of Cody Simon, I would think a Kyzir White return would be unlikely.
From Blue T:
"Hey Darren. I was watching the draft presser and you asked about the narratives that may exist about Walter Nolen. To follow up on that, I would wonder why do those narratives exist? Where there's smoke, there's fire, no? I have no worries. I think Monti is an ace in landing the right guys, but I just do wonder why Walter has a bad reputation, even if it's unwarranted."
As I mentioned earlier, people talk. Also, people might want to feed misinformation too, to push a guy's stock lower so he can be taken. That's why all the conversation out there for the public has to be taken with a grain of salt, and why every team does a deep dive for themselves into these players. Not saying there aren't things Nolen might need to improve upon. But this coach and this GM aren't taking a guy they don't think fits into the culture. I know that.
From Brian Fants:
"I was listening to a podcast post draft and they said with the arrival of Walter, CC, and Tomlinson and with the return of LJ, Darius, and Stills that we might cut Bilal and Justin Jones? When looking at the absolutely packed DL room, what are your thoughts on how many guys we keep, and are there any odd men looking out?"
As I said earlier, I don't see how those guys are cut. As for how many defensive linemen they keep, I'm not ruling out as many as eight, depending on the rest of the roster. We will see on that, and it could be fewer. But you want the best options. And the injuries crop up often. That can't be ignored. If they make it to the regular season with everyone healthy, it's one of those proverbial good problems to have.
From Chris Minton:
"Now that the draft is old news (I know I'm sending this the Tuesday prior, but work with me here), I have a question about the inevitable 18th game and the chatter surrounding it. Since it's all about money (TV deals and gate receipts for the owners; a predetermined piece of the pie for the players), would you expect the NFLPA to ask for larger rosters as a concession? One of the cons of an 18th game being that much more wear and tear on a guy, larger rosters (and gameday rosters) would help offset this at least a little bit. The flip side, of course, is that their piece of the pie wouldn't go quite as far."
Look at you jumping the gun but not really on the pre/post draft question. Yes, I'd think the NFLPA would want bigger rosters. It might work out too. Adding an extra game probably would be worth so much compared to the relative drop in the bucket it would cost for a 54th and/or 55th player on the roster. But we are early in this process.
