2025 Cardinals NFL draft grades: Live grades for every Arizona selection
2025 Cardinals NFL draft grades: Live grades for every Arizona selection
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2025 NFL Draft offers tons of offensive and defensive line help
USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon breaks down the deepest part of the 2025 NFL Draft, offensive and defensive lineman.
Sports Pulse
After a third straight season with a losing record, the Arizona Cardinals may have started to see a light at the end of their rebuilding tunnel. The 2025 NFL Draft presents an opportunity for the Cardinals to push their roster over the hump.
Arizona improved upon their two straight seasons with a 4-13 record with an 8-9 outing in 2024. They now hold the No. 16 overall pick in this year's draft. The team also owns each of its picks for the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds as well as the New York Jets' seventh-round selection, which is six picks in total.
As the 2025 NFL Draft began, the Cardinals needed help in the trenches on both sides of the ball – offensive and defensive line – as well as at linebacker.
After finishing two games behind the Los Angeles Rams for the NFC West division title in 2024, Arizona has a chance at making another run at the playoffs for the first time since 2021 if it addresses its team needs in the draft.
USA TODAY Sports will grade each Cardinals' draft picks live using factors like team needs, player fit and draft value.
Here are USA TODAY Sports' grades for each of Arizona's selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.
This section will be updated as picks are made.
Monti Ossenfort is going all in on his defensive front in 2025. After adding edge rusher Josh Sweat and defensive linemen Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell in free agency, Arizona kept pushing by bringing on Nolen. A massively disruptive but still inconsistent interior penetrator, Nolen can ease into work and learn behind a fine mentor in Campbell, the 38-year-old who can help him unlock his full potential.
With Walker off the board, the Cardinals opt to address a need along the defensive line. Arizona signed both Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency but the team needs a long-term building block at the position. Nolen has incredible burst off the line with long arms for his 6-foot-4, 300-pound frame. He has a high ceiling as a pass rusher and can grow alongside 2024 first-round pick Darius Robinson.
MARVIN HARRISON JR: Cardinals QB Kyler Murray says 2024 first-round pick 'didn't even scratch the surface' as rookie
Round 2, Pick 47: Will Johnson, CB, Michigan
Round 3, Pick 78: Jordan Burch, Edge, Oregon
Monti Ossenfort clearly didn't want to leave the offseason without a front seven that could pack a punch. Burch might not translate his testing marks into prolific sack stats at the next level, but he can push blockers back and hold the edge.
Arizona continues to build on defense with the versatile Burch. He's got the size to line up either inside or outside with great production in the college ranks. He could be an ideal compliment to Darius Robinson for the future.
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