5 draft prospects who will immediately help the Arizona Cardinals in 2024
By Sion Fawkes
The Arizona Cardinals will be picking early and often in the 2024 NFL Draft, and with so many picks, they may once again find immediate contributors in quite a few rounds. This year served as a prime example of what kind of eye general manager Monti Ossenfort has for talent, so whether it’s a first-round pick or a late-round pick, it’s safe to say they will bring value to the team.
Sure, a contingent of fans may not embrace all of Ossenfort’s roster transactions, as he made it clear that he will build through the NFL Draft. But the trade-off is simple: He will bring in young talent that could potentially stick around for quite some time.
This year, we saw Paris Johnson, BJ Ojulari, Garrett Williams, Michael Wilson, Dante Stills, and Kei’Trel Clark come into their own when healthy. They will continue to evolve, but given the number of holes still on the roster, there are quite a few players slated to be picked in the middle of the first round (and later) who could provide immediate reinforcement.
5 draft prospects who will immediately help the Cardinals
1 - Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB/Alabama
Kool-Aid McKinstry can come in and immediately start at corner alongside Garrett Williams, who recently worked his way into a major role. Thanks to Williams’ early success and the fact he will have a full offseason of work heading into 2024, McKinstry likely won’t face pressure of being the No. 1 corner from the gate should the Cards draft him.
He also contrasts well from a size standpoint when compared to Williams, who stands at 5’10. So the Cards won’t have two smaller corners on the field if McKinstry makes it to the desert. There are other good fits like Nate Wiggins and Cooper DeJean, but if McKinstry is there when the Cardinals select again with their second pick in the first round, they need to roll with him.
Through Championship Week in college football, McKinstry has an 87.5 overall grade per PFF, plus an 86.0 coverage grade. He only has six pass deflections this season and 19 solo tackles, but don’t let the lack of production fool you. It’s clear that opponents haven’t been throwing his way as often in 2023.