2025 Arizona Cardinals Draft Profile

Team Needs: DL, Tackle, WR, LB

After a promising 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals looked like a team on the rise. They had all the young talent they could pile into one roster but it only amounted to eight wins on the season. 

Now, the mission is to continue to improve, utilizing the draft as the main tool. The 2025 class is very deep and could yield the impact players this team needs to get over the hump.   

 

Possible Targets

Walter Nolen – Defensive Line, Ole Miss

Pooh Paul Jr. – Linebacker, Ole Miss

Carson Vinson – Tackle, Alabama A&M

Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has an obsession with drafting versatile defensive linemen who can affect the game in multiple ways. Last year, they took Missouri standout Darius Robinson and this year they should look to add a running mate early in the draft.   

One of the most versatile defensive linemen in the draft is Walter Nolen out of Ole Miss. His lightening quick first step and ability to shoot gaps allow him to blow plays up before they get started.

Nolen has shown the ability and willingness to play different positions on the defensive line to maximize his talents. Putting him next to Robinson would give Arizona a nasty interior duo that can wreck games in Gannon’s scheme. 

One of the weak spots of the Cardinals’ defense is their linebacking corps. They have three serviceable players and could use a top-end starter in that room. 

Arizona could double dip into the Ole Miss pot and take Pooh Paul Jr. to be their new leader in the middle. Paul Jr.’s best skill is his ability to diagnose plays and attack them with his speed.

He is also a very good player in coverage, looking smooth in drops and displaying above average spatial awareness. He would be a perfect player to add into this defense, which could thrive as a 4-3 linebacker. 

One of the things you can’t have too much of is offensive linemen, specifically offensive tackles. Arizona has invested in their offensive line over the years but they could still use some bodies in the room. 

Cardinals offensive line coach Justin Frye likes big players with high athletic profiles and Alabama A&M tackle Carson Vinson fits that mold.

Vinson is a raw specimen with all the tools to lock in at either right or left tackle. He shows light agile feet and strong hands when getting into his pass sets, which make him a perfect bookend for an offense.

He also has the functional strength to move the line of scrimmage in the run game. Vinson would be a good depth piece to develop behind Jonah Williams and eventually plug in next to Paris Johnson Jr. in the future.  

Arizona has the early makings of a young powerhouse but they need to add some more pieces to solidify that. They can do so with a draft class like this.