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From PFF:
ARIZONA CARDINALS: B+
1 (4): WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
1 (27): EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri
2 (43): CB Max Melton, Rutgers
3 (66): RB Trey Benson, Florida State
3 (71): OT Isaiah Adams, Illinois
3 (82): TE Tip Reiman, Illinois
3 (90): CB Elijah Jones, Boston College
4 (104): S Taylor Dadrion-Demerson , Texas Tech
5 (138): EDGE Xavier Thomas, Clemson
5 (162): OT Christian Jones, Texas
5 (191): WR Tejhaun Palmer, UAB
7 (226): CB Jaden Davis, Miami
Harrison — The Cardinals didn’t receive a trade offer that enticed them to move down for the second straight season. Instead, they get the No. 1 overall prospect on the consensus big board and one of the cleanest projections in the entire draft. Despite dealing with a step down in quarterback play last year, Harrison is one of two wide receivers who generated more than 1.0 PFF Wins Above Average (WAA) over the last two seasons.
Robinson — Robinson’s strength is his calling card. He played primarily on the interior before moving to the edge and posting career-highs with an 83.1 overall PFF grade and nine sacks. He was also the only SEC edge player to earn a 76.0-plus grade in run defense and rushing the passer. Arizona desperately needed to get more physical up front. The Cardinals accomplished that, but it’s possible that he would’ve been on the board early in the next round.
Melton — The run on cornerbacks continues. Melton, the 72nd-ranked player on the PFF big board, allowed just a 65.7 passer rating into his coverage in 2023 and totaled 15 pass breakups since 2021, the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten. The Cardinals could have targeted almost any position here and been filling a need. Melton projects as a slot cornerback but brings versatility, having played inside and outside in college.
Benson — The second running back off the board, Benson earned a 91.3 PFF grade over the last two seasons, eighth among Power Five running backs. Dynamic with the ball in his hands, he forced 124 missed tackles on 310 carries since 2022. He should immediately compete for touches behind James Conner in Arizona.
Adams — Adams played at Illinois but will likely kick inside to guard at the next level. He put up an 81.1 run-blocking grade over the past two seasons, sixth among draft-eligible tackles in this class. However, he gave up nine sacks from 518 pass-blocking snaps in 2023 alone and 13 sacks on 992 pass-blocking snaps over the past two seasons.
Reiman — A late riser through the pre-draft process, Reiman was a workout warrior and caught a ton of attention at the Shrine Bowl and NFL scouting combine. He wasn’t asked to be much more than a dump-off threat for Illinois and didn’t drop a pass on his 24 targets in 2023. He really shines as a run-blocker, where his play strength and competitiveness stand out.
Jones — The Cardinals continue to add to the secondary and pick an enforcer in Jones. The Boston College product is PFF’s 225th-ranked player but allowed just an 18.1 passer rating on throws into his coverage, the third-best mark among CBs, while his 89.8 coverage grade ranked eighth. Jones brings a physical playstyle as the Cardinals look to fill holes in their roster.
Dadrion-Demerson — Taylor-Demerson has been a ball hawk his entire college career, with his 10 interceptions since 2021 ranking third among Power Five safeties in that span. Opposing quarterbacks managed a passer rating of 58.4 when throwing into his coverage during his college career.
Thomas — Thomas gained a ton of experience in his six-year college career while racking up 153 quarterback pressures and 22 sacks, capped by a career-high 43 pressures in his final college season. He gives the Cardinals another solid piece in their defensive line overhaul.
Jones — Jones brings plenty of experience, having played 3,219 career offensive snaps for Texas over the past five seasons. He showed improvement throughout his college career, too. Jones’ 77.8 PFF grade in 2023 was the highest of his college career. Arizona brought in Jonah Williams this offseason as the projected starter opposite 2023 first-round pick Paris Johnson Jr., but Jones is a nice depth addition to that group.
Palmer — Palmer was productive in each of his final two seasons at UAB, averaging 2.00 and 2.15 yards per route run in 2022 and 2023, respectively. He dropped just 2.1% of the catchable passes thrown his way and averaged 8.8 yards after the catch in 2023.
Davis — Davis was targeted 49 times in coverage in 2023. He allowed 28 receptions and one touchdown, adding five forced incompletions and six defensive stops.
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