If you wonder, Arizona Cardinals fans, why your team has made the playoffs only once since 2015, a good place to start is the NFL Draft.
The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner ranked how all 32 NFL teams drafted in the last five years. The Cardinals were ranked 32nd.
Baumgardner tempered his Arizona ranking by noting that general manager Monti Ossenfort was in charge only for the last two drafts. The 2023 and 2024 drafts are viewed widely as above average.
Baumgardner wrote about Arizona: “The Cardinals’ best picks of this stretch have come in the last two drafts, so if we recalculate in two years, they likely would be much higher on the list. GM Monti Ossenfort has done a very nice job kick-starting a rebuild for a team that could be solid in 2025.”
NFL teams win through the draft
The draft is the best place to build a roster. Some say it’s the only place to build a roster. Draft the right players, and your team is immediately better and could be improved for a decade.
It’s also the worst place to build a roster. Poor draft picks can leave holes in the lineup — holes that draftees were supposed to plug. Miss on multiple top draft picks over a few years, and your team is kicking back watching the playoffs on TV.
Among the Cardinals’ picks, The Athletic said wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (fourth overall, 2024) was considered the “best pick” in the 2020-24 rankings. Linebacker Zaven Collins (16th overall in 2021) was the “worst pick.” Wide receiver Michael Wilson (94th, 2023) was the “best value.”
You can make an unimpeachable argument that the draft is the most important event on the NFL calendar. Every draft year is vital for every team. Contending teams hope for the two or three players who can help them win a division, or to build necessary depth. Middle-of-the-pack teams, such as the Cardinals, generally need an influx of talent to become a contender.
Teams at the bottom need a great draft to truly build their roster. A couple of great drafts — landing two or three starters each year — can quickly get a team fighting for the playoffs.
Ossenfort’s successful track record
Ossenfort’s 2023 draft class was led by offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who has played 31 games in the past two seasons. Every player drafted in 2023 has played at least 13 games.
From the 2024 draft, seven players played at least 13 of the 17 games. No. 27 overall pick Darius Robinson only played six games because of injury. Robinson is expected to be a major contributor next season.
Ossenfort spent 17 seasons in the Patriots’ front office, starting as an area scout and finishing as Director of College Scouting. New England went to seven Super Bowls and won four during his tenure.
After New England, he spent three seasons with the Titans as their Director of Player Personnel. Tennessee won the AFC South in two of those seasons.
Ossenfort’s drafting prowess and the smarts of his scouting organization will be on display starting with Thursday’s first round of the draft. His real test will be later in the draft when the picks aren’t so obvious.
With some good draft picks, Ossenfort can continue to wipe out the perception that Arizona’s drafts are more of a weakness than a strength.