NFL Draft grades: Arizona Cardinals receive high marks for 2024 class
Apr 29, 2024, 5:50 PM
NFL Draft grades are out. And for the most part, those around the league are liking what general manager Monti Ossenfort and Co. did last week.
A look at how the Cardinals’ draft class graded out in 2024:
NFL Draft grades for Arizona Cardinals
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly
Grade: A+
The Cardinals came into this draft with a ton of firepower, and GM Monti Ossenfort used his picks wisely. The team made the right choice in sticking and picking at No. 4 overall to take receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who is my second-ranked player overall. Harrison will be a force multiplier for the offense and give Kyler Murray a true No. 1 target for years to come.
Arizona turned around later in the first round and grabbed a long and powerful defensive lineman in Darius Robinson, who brings versatility and disruptiveness to their defensive front.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Grade: A
While the Cardinals surprised most everyone by winning four games last season, this is still a team with a below-average roster. They really needed a talent infusion in this draft, and they entered Thursday with 11 picks, tied for the most in the league. So, yes, general manager Monti Ossenfort could have traded down from No. 4 to add even more capital, but I like that he went with both the best prospect available and the team’s biggest need. Marvin Harrison Jr. (4) has everything it takes to be a future All-Pro wide receiver.
All in all, Ossenfort used 12 picks and hit all of the Cardinals’ top needs, including throwing four defensive backs at a porous pass D. This is a well-rounded and super-talented class.
Pro Football Network’s Cam Mellor
Grade: A
Not only did the Cardinals have a massive haul of 12 picks, but they also hit on most of their picks. MHJ and Darius Robinson are the biggest names, but Arizona refilled their talent pool and all their positions of need.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco
Grade: A
The Cardinals had a lot of ammunition with 12 picks and Monti Ossenfort used it well. I liked a lot of their picks, starting with receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who is a much-needed, dynamic playmaker.
They added a bunch of potential starters the rest of the way, giving this rising team a lot of talented players. They also added four defensive backs, which was a must.
Fox Sports’ Eric Williams
Grade: A
Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort lived up to his reputation as a wheeler and dealer. Since taking over in 2023, Ossenfort has brokered 11 trades, including six on draft day and a pair on draft day this year. Ossenfort’s moves helped Arizona secure a handful of impact players, led by the best receiver in this year’s draft in Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr.
Arizona drafted much-needed pass rush help in Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson and Clemson’s Xavier Thomas. The Cardinals also added an explosive running back in Florida State’s Trey Benson and two cover corners in Rutgers’ Max Melton and Boston College’s Elijah Jones. The 12 picks by Arizona are the most in a single draft by the team since 1992.
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso
Grade: A-
Holy gigantic class for the Cardinals. But I love it. The more rolls at the table, the better. Harrison is an instant 1,000-yard “X” receiver, Robinson can make noise Year 1 if he’s deployed inside more than on the edge, and Trey Benson was my RB1 in this class. So fast and elusive.
Reiman is enormous and provided glimmers of receiving prowess, and the Melton and Jones pairing gives the Cardinals two highly explosive outside cornerbacks. Thomas can be a useful situational outside rusher, and Jones has starter upside. Arizona added athletic specimens at a variety of positions to a roster that desperately needed an infusion of sheer talent. Go have a beer, or two, Monti Ossenfort. On me. You crushed this draft.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter
Grade: A-
The Cardinals did a nice job over the first two days of the draft. They acquired picks via trade, found home-run hitters on offense in Harrison and Benson and added an inside/outside pass-rush threat in Robinson. They landed athletic corners in Melton and Elijah Jones, as well. Adams and Reiman also met needs, though they were picked a bit earlier than I expected.
Taylor-Demerson was my pick for the Cardinals in the fourth round of my seven-round mock draft because of his quickness as a slot defender and tackling ability. Thomas is athletic enough to stand up on the edge for the Cardinals, while Christian Jones and Palmer have the talent to take back-end roster spots and compete for playing time down the road.
SI.com’s Matt Verderame
Grade: B+
Harrison is a middle of the fairway pick for the Cardinals, who have fallen into another generational wide receiver prospect. After seeing how adept this offensive staff was at getting their best playmakers the ball, the expectations for Kyler Murray will be undoubtedly high this year.
Arizona dominated the middle rounds and did a great job of obtaining some players who will compete for starting jobs before the projected talent cutoff, which drops significantly after Round 3.
Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald
Grade: B+
Shoutout to Arizona for not overthinking it. Grab the best player in the draft and keep it moving. They took some chances with the selections of Max Melton, Trey Benson and Xavier Thomas, giving them more credible prospects to continue this rebuild. The Cardinals might not win the division this season, but this draft class should help them get to competing for the playoffs soon, especially if Kyler Murray can build on his late-season resurgence.
Bleacher Report staff
Grade: B+
Could the Cardinals have gotten a haul from a QB-needy team by trading the fourth overall pick? Probably. Did they get an instant No. 1 receiver who is as bust-proof as a prospect can be? Absolutely. Considering Arizona’s need for offensive playmakers, it was the perfect choice.
Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson may have been a reach at No. 27—he was the 45th-ranked prospect on the B/R board—but his ability to fill a variety of roles along the defensive front will aid head coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense.
