How Cardinals' 2023 Draft Class Compares to NFL

The Arizona Cardinals' last haul of rookies ranks somewhere in the middle.

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are prepping for a massive 2024 NFL Draft haul, one that could push the organization even further in their rebuilding efforts than some may have anticipated.

That's partly thanks to the strong inaugural rookie class from 2023, as general manager Monti Ossenfort decided to wipe the slate clean in the desert and build his foundation from the ground up.

We've had nearly a full calendar year since last year's rookies landed on the scene - where does Arizona's crew rank in terms of production?

PFF has them at No. 15 out of 32 clubs, landing in the "a lot of volume and potential - it can do either direction next year" category with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears ahead of them.

"The rookies of the Buccaneers, Bears and Cardinals produced a lot of snaps, but the classes were mediocre in terms of performance. That puts them ahead of the following tiers but below the classes we already discussed," wrote Timo Riske before highlighting a few contributors:

• WR Michael Wilson (68.7 receiving grade, 1.28 yards per route run)

• T Paris Johnson Jr. (64.2 pass-block grade, 55.1 run-block grade)

• DI Dante Stills (53.8 pass-rush grade, 7.6% pressure rate)

• CB Garrett Williams (57.2 coverage, 0.81 yards per coverage snap)

Overall, the Cardinals relied on plenty of rookies last season. After the aforementioned names, Arizona also saw guys such as Clayton Tune, Kei'Trel Clark and B.J. Ojulari making starts for the team. The Cardinals - statistically speaking - utilized rookies more than any other team last season.

There's hope they can continue to grow moving forward, too.

Johnson proved to be a pivotal building block for Arizona's future along the offensive line. Ojulari came on strong at the end of last season as an edge rusher. Wilson flashed the big-body capabilities Kyler Murray needs in his receiving corps. Williams and Clark already have plenty of starting experience in the secondary while Stills proved to be effective in Arizona's trenches, too.