Draft Grades: Cardinals

The Cardinals must have felt like they won the lottery when Chris Wells fell to them with the 31st pick. I had Wells rated as the clear-cut top rated running back, worthy of a top 10 selection. His injury concerns led to him falling down the board, but so long as he stays healthy the Cardinals got themselves a steal.

Cody Brown was a reach. He undersized for a defensive end would have been better suited as an outside linebacker in 3-4 defense. I don't see becoming an impact player in Arizona.

I like the selection of Rashad Johnson. He'll have a hard time seeing the field behind Adrian Wilson and Antrel Rolle, but he had great value in the 3rd round and he'll be an excellent special teams player.

Greg Toler is a developmental prospect. He has some upside, but the 4th round was a bit of a reach. He likely won't be more than a nickelback, and could just as easily be out of the league in a year or two.

Herman Johnson was a great 5th-round selection. He's raw, but his size is impressive and he could develop into an adequate starter. He's exactly the type of over-sized lineman that the Cardinals love. They may even consider moving him to tackle.

Will Davis, the second defensive end they selected, was also a reach. I gave him an undrafted free agent grade because he lacks the strength to play at the next level. He's a good athlete, but really doesn't have the overall size and strength to hold up against more physical offensive linemen.

Stephens-Howling was a major reach. He should have gone undrafted and barely received an interest in free agency. He could be an adequate special teams player, but he's undersized and won't contribute much in any other capacity.

Trevor Canfield was a steal in the 7th round. I gave him a 3rd-round grade and could see him developing into a starter.

Overall this was somewhat of a disappointing draft for the Cardinals. Their biggest need was a running back which they addressed in the 1st round with the best player at the position in the draft. However, they failed to land any impact players on defense and completely ignored their need for a pass-catching tight end.

Grade: C+