Cardinals’ Draft Problems Exposed by Striking Pro Bowl Stat

The Arizona Cardinals lag behind much of the NFL when it comes to drafting and developing.

Feb 3, 2026; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort at a press conference at the Cardinals training facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Arizona Cardinals fans are typically tough on general manager Monti Ossenfort, though a recent stat unveiled on Pro Bowl selections warrant some of those criticisms.

The Cardinals are set to see Ossenfort run his fourth draft cycle in the desert with a wild array of hits and misses through previous years. Arizona's failed to either make the playoffs or reach a winning record under his watch.

Much of the criticism Ossenfort's endured since taking over is his inability to draft impact players, and that was highlighted by NFL senior researcher Tony Holzman, who pieced together a list of Pro Bowl players drafted by their current roster.

Arizona was near the bottom of the league with just two:

Most Pro Bowlers on current roster drafted by that team...

8 - Eagles
7 - Ravens, Lions
6 - Texans, Broncos, Chargers
5 - Chiefs, Cowboys, Bills, Falcons
4 - Rams, 49ers, Jaguars, Browns, Bucs
3 - Seahawks, Bengals, Colts, Commanders
2 - Titans, Steelers, Jets, Giants, Saints,…

— NFL Researcher (@NFL_Researcher) April 17, 2026

Those two players would be safety Budda Baker and tight end Trey McBride - neither of which were drafted by Ossenfort himself.

You could make arguments players such as Paris Johnson Jr. and Michael Wilson were close to Pro Bowl campaigns in their respective time with the team, though hypothetical awards don't mean much.

On one hand, the actual value of a Pro Bowl nod has taken a hit over recent years. Looking at Ossenfort's draft classes, there's been some obvious hits under his belt.

Yet the Pro Bowl still is held in high regards and is used from contract negotiations to debates in the outside world. For as much as it's been devalued, it still matters.

The draft is always a crapshoot, and general manager's jobs would be much easier if Pro Bowl players were more identifiable through the draft.

The Cardinals haven't been able to maximize first-round picks such as Marvin Harrison Jr. and Darius Robinson while finds in later rounds (Michael Wilson, Garrett Williams among others) have proven to be value picks.

Ossenfort himself says he goes back reviews each class.

“Yeah, of course. We look at every single one of our drafts. We look at every player that we've acquired, and I think that's the best way to learn," he told reporters last week.

"I think really a big change has been scheme-wise—what we're doing offensively. What we've looked for in the past may not be what we're looking for moving forward. I think we look at every aspect of what happened with each of our picks. Where did we hit? Where did we miss? Why did we miss? What's going on? For some, there is a clear-cut answer (and) for some it's a little more gray. I think those are always valuable learning lessons and ones that we’ll continue to do.”

Drafting Pro Bowl players shouldn't be a defining facet of a general manager's overall body of work, though when the Cardinals haven't performed up to par under Ossenfort's tenure, it is hard to deny those facts.