It took a full season of waiting, but now the wait is finally over. The Arizona Cardinals used the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft to select wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. out of Ohio State University. Harrison is the highest selected receiver in the draft for the Cardinals since 2004 when they selected the legendary Larry Fitzgerald. MHJ is considered to be a generational prospect and in college he was able to showcase his skill, as he was a two-time unanimous All-American and a winner of the 2023 Fred Biletnikoff Award.
The Cardinals added an elite weapon for their QB1 in Kyler Murray, something special is brewing in Arizona. This could be one of the most lethal offenses in the NFL next season.
With the 27th overall pick and their second first rounder in the NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals took defensive tackle Darius Robinson out of Missouri. Robinson is going to be huge for the Cards in stopping the run game, as he has a frame of 6’5 285 lbs. He is a high-character guy who loves to work and he can play in many spots on the defensive line, such as the edge or interior line.
After a successful first day of drafting, the Cards were determined to continue adding on on day two. The Arizona Cardinals were originally in possession of the 35th pick in the NFL Draft, but after trading with the Atlanta Falcons they moved down to the 43rd pick. Arizona also swapped the 186th pick for the 79th pick.
With that being said, with the 43rd pick in the NFL Draft the Arizona Cardinals selected cornerback Max Melton from Rutgers. Melton is a long cornerback who can go head to head with the opposing team’s best wide receiver. Melton ran a 4.39 in his 40 yard dash.
The Cardinals had only one second round pick and with their first third rounder they took running back Trey Benson out of Florida State. This pick makes a lot of sense, as he can fit in and learn right behind James Conner for a year and potentially take over as the lead running back. In his two college seasons, Trey Benson was named Second Team All-ACC both seasons.
The second pick in the third round for the Cardinals was used to select the OT out of Illinois, Isaiah Adams. Adams is huge and he is a versatile player who can move around the offensive line. This pick filled a big hole for the Cards and Adams will compete for a spot in the lineup.
Once again the Arizona Cardinals made a trade, as they were originally slated to pick at 79 and they chose to move down to 82 in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, also grabbing pick 191. Monti Ossenfort ‘s plan was to load up on draft capital. The Cards selected tight end Tip Reiman with the 82nd pick in the draft, making it a back-to-back pick of players from Illinois. Tip is a great pick, he can help the Cardinals with his blocking skills and he adds tight end depth alongside Trey McBride and Ellijah Higgins.
Elijah Jones, the cornerback out of Boston College was drafted by the Cardinals at pick. 90, this was the fourth selection made by Arizona in the third round. He comes in to bolster the cornerback room that was in need of help, after leading his team with 5 interceptions last season. This was the last player taken on day two.
With their only pick in the fourth round and the first pick of day three, the Arizona Cardinals selected a safety out of Texas Tech, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. He’s an athletic safety who can excellently read the field. Taylor-Demerson, whose nickname is “The Rabbit ” due to his athletic abilities, will benefit from playing under Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson.
The Cardinals managed to fill another hole at pick 138 and they did that by drafting EDGE Xavier Thomas, out of Clemson. Thomas is a very talented player who had 153 QB pressures and 22 sacks in his college career. He plays with a high motor and has a high upside for the future.
The next selection made by the Cardinals would be at pick 162, where drafted the OT from Texas, Christian Jones. Jones is another big player who is 6’5 and 305 lbs. Jones allowed just one sack last year. This was their second offensive lineman taken in this year’s draft.
Arizona’s second wide receiver that they selected in the draft was Tejhaun Palmer at pick 191, out of UAB. Palmer is a great addition, as he’s another young receiver who averaged 18.3 yards per catch last season. The new Cardinal is another young receiver to add to the mix.
With their final pick (226) in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected their third cornerback of the draft being Jaden Davis out of Miami. Davis is undersized at 5 ’10 182 lbs, but he has a burst in his game. He will be another young corner coming in for the Cards that will compete for a spot in the lineup.
GM Monti Ossenfort was absolutely all business for this draft. This has to be one of the most impressive drafts we have seen from the Cardinals. All the hype will be around MHJ, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the 2024 draft class develops.
