NFC West Draft Grades

The dust has settled for the 2023 NFL Draft and while the rookies haven’t even signed their contracts yet, opinions are already in on teams draft classes.

The following grades will be handed out based on not just the draft selection but also trades made before or during the draft.

Arizona Cardinals

Draft Grade: B+

Few teams improved as much as the Cardinals did in the draft, although that’s not saying much, given the current state of their roster. The Cardinals made some splashes on night one of the draft by trading back from three to twelve with the Houston Texans, then trading back up from twelve to six with the Detroit Lions.

When the trades were done with, that allowed the Cardinals to draft the guy they were connected to all along in Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr while also adding the Texans first-round pick in the 2024 draft, which could be as high as first overall. 

Adding immediate contributors to the defense was a focal point for the Jonathan Gannon-led Cardinals, taking LSUs BJ Ojulari and Syracuse’s Garrett Williams on day two. Both have the potential to step in and be day-one starters. Williams is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in October but the expectation is that he will be fully cleared in July.

Day three saw more depth added to the roster in the form of athletes like Jon Gaines II, Owen Pappoe, Kei’Trel Clark, and Dante Stills. Fifth-round selection Clayton Tune is also expected to be the second-string quarterback in 2023 behind Colt McCoy while Kyler Murray continues his recovery from his torn ACL.

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