Big Question Looms for Cardinals Ahead of NFL Draft

Without a doubt, it's clear the Arizona Cardinals were committed to making investments this offseason, with the intent to shore up some of the weakest spots on the roster.

That was apparent when GM Monti Ossenfort signed pass rusher Josh Sweat to a $76.4 million deal and DT Dalvin Tomlinson to a $29 million deal, among other in-house reunions and a handful of depth signings.

One could argue that not enough has been done, and there's a case to be made there. But the Cardinals have maintained a philosophy of draft-and-develop ever since Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon took the reins.

And that's a good thing. That's how competent organizations build a culture of sustained winnin — something the Cardinals have lacked for the entirety of their tenure in the desert.

But while it's refreshing to not see flashes of the previous regime, dumping tens of millions in badly-designed contracts for aging veterans looking to cash in, it also puts pressure on a specific group of players: the rookies.

When your organization is draft-and-develop focused, that means two things.

One, you have to hit on many, if not most of your draft prospects each year - especially at the positions that need the biggest overhaul. Two, those draft picks have to step into a productive role, almost immediately.

We've seen both sides of that spectrum in Ossenfort's tenure. Players like Paris Johnson Jr. and Garrett Williams became day-one contributors, while others like Darius Robinson an d BJ Ojulari have yet to become franchise stalwarts (injuries and extenuating circumstances notwithstanding).

I've talked around it enough, I'll get to the point:

Have the Cardinals added enough talent and depth to set their incoming high-pick rookies up for success?

In 2023, Paris Johnson Jr. stepped into a RT role, playing next to one of the best RGs in the league in Will Hernandez, a solid C in Hjalte Froholdt, and a veteran franchise cornerstone in D.J. Humphries at LT.

The result? Johnson was an immediate impact player, and while he wasn't perfect as a rookie, showcased tangible development on his way to becoming a dominant LT for the Cardinals in 2024, and hopefully beyond.

In 2024, the Cardinals took WR Marvin Harrison Jr. and DL Darius Robinson in the first round. Both players were expected to come into bare-bones position groups and become the instant #1 without sufficient depth or talent around them.

The result? Harrison put forward 885 yards and nine touchdowns, and nobody was satisfied with his (or the entire team's - save for Trey McBride) production in the passing game.

On the defensive side, Robinson's injury and personal tragedy made for a difficult year, but when he did return, Arizona's DL was no better off than it had been.

I'm fully aware of the extenuating circumstances surrounding Robinson, and Ossenfort did try to add depth in Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols, but neither of those players played well, even when they were healthy.

The outcome still speaks to a mindset from Ossenfort that the Cardinals' high-end talent should come from their draft picks, at least more often than external signings. That mentality is fine, but doesn't account for the now.

The Cardinals can no longer wait around for development. They have to contend in the 2025 season. Granted, even the best of the best draft prospects might not be able to instantaneously step into a starting role - but with enough talent and infrastructure around them, they won't have to play the hero of their position group.

So with the NFL Draft rapidly approaching, the Cardinals have to examine their offseason.

Sure, they added some impact players, but if they do opt to draft a pass rusher or DL (and it seems likely they will), have they added enough talent to allow those rookies (as well as their second- and third-year development projects) to stay sheltered from the expectation that they'll carry their unit from the beginning.

For the moment, Ossenfort's free agency additions do seem to be leaning more toward the positive end of that argument than the negative. But only time will tell.