NFL Draft Recap: Arizona Cardinals: 2023 NFL Draft Outlook

May 6, 2023

2023 NFL Draft recap for the Arizona Cardinals. Which positions did they address? Which players did they draft? Can any of them help your fantasy football team this year?

The Arizona Cardinals won the NFL Draft by making trades to set themselves up for the 2024 draft. During the draft, they acquired four new draft picks, including three in the first three rounds.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals still drafted nine players this year, more than most teams.

After an abysmal season in 2022, they had a lot of needs to fill. So how did they do? Let's take a look at who they drafted and if they addressed their most pressing needs

Who Did The Arizona Cardinals Draft On Offense?

The Cardinals added a new piece to their offensive line by taking highly-touted (and Kyler Murray favorite) offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr at pick No. 6.  They landed at No. 6 after trading their No. 3 pick to the Texans and then trading the Texans' old No. 12 to the Lions for the No. 6 pick. PFF analyst Steve Palazzolo reports that the Cardinals were already planning on taking Johnson at No. 3, so to get him three picks later while also picking up a haul that included a 2024 Texans' first-rounder, a 2024 Texans' third-rounder, and a 2o24 Titans' third-rounder was a good value.

The Cardinals have a solid left tackle now in D.J. Humphries, but they have weaknesses at guard. Johnson has played as a left tackle, a right tackle, and a guard, so he could slot in anywhere on the line.

With their second pick in the third round, the Cardinals took Stanford wide receiver Michael Wilson. They added a dedicated guard, UCLA's Jon Gaines II, in the fourth, and then they selected Houston quarterback Clayton Tune in the fifth. Tune could be another depth piece in the event that Kyler Murray or Colt McCoy both suffer setbacks.

Who Did The Arizona Cardinals Draft On Defense?

Five of the Cardinals' nine picks were on the defensive side of the ball. Their first defensive pick came in the second round at No. 41 with the selection of LSU edge rusher B.J. Ojulari. Ojulari was involved in more sacks in each year of his college career than the year prior, going from four as a freshman to nine as a junior. He gets off the ball with a jump, and he moves his body well to get around blockers.

The Cardinals' third-round pick, Garrett Williams, was typically mocked as going in the second round. To get him one round later was a fine pick. Fifth-round pick Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe ranked second in the SEC in solo tackles in 2020. Add in Louisville CB Kei'trel Clark and West Virginia DT Dante Stills, and the Cardinals got an A- draft grade from Rotoballer, a B- from SI, and a D from Sporting News.

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