The Arizona Cardinals had an outstanding 2025 NFL Draft. Multiple experts and outlets, including PFF and NFL.com, graded Arizona’s draft class among the best in the league.
Most of the post-draft focus on Arizona’s haul has been centered around Walter Nolen and Will Johnson. Both players look like instant starters with the potential to become stars. But one of the Cardinals’ best selections is flying under the radar.
Denzel Burke could be Arizona Cardinals’ best draft pick
Cornerback is widely recognized as one of the most volatile positions in football. A corner can have an elite season, then follow it up with a forgettable one. Just look at Sauce Gardner’s drop in play from 2023 to 2024.
The same thing happens at the collegiate level. Cornerbacks once regarded as some of the best in the country can fall off the map with one underwhelming season.
But these players often bounce back in the NFL. Derek Stingley Jr., for example, underperformed in his final season at LSU. Now, he’s one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Denzel Burke, the Arizona Cardinals fifth-round draft pick, could be on a similar path.
After the 2023 season, Burke was one of the top prospects expected to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. In their “Way-Too-Early 2025 NFL Mock Draft,” PFF had Burke going in the first round.
Burke’s stock dropped significantly throughout the 2024 season. He only had two pass deflections in his final year after posting seven the season prior. Because of this regression, the Ohio State cornerback fell all the way to the fifth round, where Arizona scooped him up.
Despite Burke’s drop in production, he still shows good instincts in zone coverage and impressive physicality. He’s a good tackler with ideal size.
In a deep cornerback group, Burke likely won’t make an immediate impact for the Cardinals. Will Johnson, Garrett Williams, and Max Melton should take the majority of snaps. But Burke, a Scottsdale native, certainly has the talent to solidify a spot on the Cardinals’ roster. If he can return to the level of play he showed in 2023, Denzel Burke could end up being the biggest steal of the 2025 NFL Draft.