Cardinals Surprised to See Draft Pick Fall

It was a surprise to everybody that Christian Jones slid all the way to the Arizona Cardinals.

Offensive lineman Christian Jones warms up for Texas Longhorns Football Pro Day at Frank Denius / Jay Janner / American-Statesman / USA

ARIZONA --- The NFL Draft annually provides all 32 teams and fan bases with surprises throughout the three day event, sometimes good and often the other direction as well.

When the Arizona Cardinals were on the clock at Pick 162, they couldn't believe who was there.

The organization ultimately chose Texas OL Christian Jones, a versatile tackle who has experience playing on both sides of the line and is seemingly only scratching the surface of his potential.

Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort appeared on NFL Radio and told the crew he was "surprised" Jones was available in the fifth round:

Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort tells NFL Radio he was “surprised” that Texas tackle Christian Jones was there in the 5th round.

Monti says the Cards will play Jones all over the line and you never want to be “tackle poor.” @PHNX_Cardinals

— Bo Brack (@BoBrack) April 30, 2024

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid picked Jones as his best value pick for the fifth round:

"One of the most experienced prospects in this class, Jones started in 48 games in college. The Cardinals signed Jonah Williams during the offseason, and Jones is likely to serve as backup at right tackle, with Paris Johnson Jr. on the left side. GM Monti Ossenfort is building up the offensive line, adding my 87th-ranked prospect deep in the draft." - Jordan Reid

When meeting with reporters at the end of the draft, Ossenfort said the Cardinals were able to get a solid look at Jones at the Senior Bowl:

“Christian has played a lot of ball. He came to the sport late but he’s also played a lot for a long time at Texas. He played at a high level against good competition and on top of that he’s seen good competition in practice everyday. He’s seen a lot, he’s played a lot but seeing him thrown into a different situation down in Mobile (AL) at the Senior Bowl that’s always good (test). He’s asked to do different things, his footwork is different at the Mobile game than what he’s been doing his whole career, so just seeing him translate and seeing him hold up against the best players in the country, that was a great look for us to evaluate his skillset.”

On a conference call after his selection, Jones highlighted what he loves about landing in Arizona:

“The team has had a prolific offense for a very long time. The state, the weather, the coaching, (Head) Coach (Jonathan) Gannon. I’m ready to go. I’m fired up. I want to be coached hard. I know a lot of people on that squad are competitors and that’s exactly what you need. Every single day I’m going to bring my all. Being in an environment like that, I can flourish for sure.” 

Rookie minicamp begins May 10.