A Final Look at the Arizona Cardinals Draft Class

The Arizona Cardinals had a tremendous draft over this past weekend

The 2017 NFL Draft has finally passed, and teams are loaded with young players ready to prove themselves. The Arizona Cardinals, like everybody else, made their choices, and now hope they made the right ones to put them back on track for a championship run. How did they really do? Only time will tell.

The Good

If you regularly follow this site, you know that Haason Reddick was on the short list of players that we coveted. When the 13th pick rolled around, we were excited to see that they liked him just as much, and made him the pick.

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Reddick was a top ten player in this entire draft, and immediately adds a degree of athleticism to the defense. He opened eyes with his performance at the Senior Bowl, then tested off the charts at the NFL Combine, solidifying himself as a top prospect. The Cardinals signed Karlos Dansby to replace Kevin Minter, but it won’t take Reddick long to start eating into his time.

In round two, the Cardinals nailed it again, adding a first round talent in safety Budda Baker. His tape was excellent, despite his less-than-ideal size. Like Reddick, he had a great workout, showing cornerback speed and plenty of explosion.

The concern with Baker will be his lack of size, but he’s an ideal fit as a centerfielder, erasing mistakes in front of him. He can cover a lot of ground, and isn’t afraid to make a hit. He could also play in the slot. He’s a chess piece who, like Tyrann Mathieu, can move around and contribute a number of ways.

An underrated pick late in the draft was running back TJ Logan. David Johnson is one of the league’s best players, but the cupboard is fairly bare behind him. Logan will be a burst of speed off the bench, and a terrific change of pace.

The Not-So-Good

It’s not a question of talent with receiver Chad Williams. He has plenty of that. He also has some off-the field concerns. His selection in round three seems like a bit of a reach, though there is some upside.

The biggest issue is the positions that the Cardinals failed to address. Going into the draft, the two biggest areas of need, arguably, were at quarterback and cornerback. They didn’t draft anyone at either spot.

Next: Cardinals on Verge of Rebuild

The Final Thoughts

This was, overall, a great draft. The Cardinals added two fantastic pieces to the defense in the early rounds. Reddick and Baker will find themselves contributing right away. Later on, they added some solid depth and even potential starters on the offensive line. The failure to solidify the quarterback and number two cornerback spot could hurt, but it’s hard not to like what they did this past weekend.