Winners and losers from the NFC West for the 2024 NFL draft
By Jake Luppino
Winner: Arizona Cardinals
Despite a 4-13 record in the 2023 regular season, the Arizona Cardinals were a tough out. Entering the season, many thought they were a potential "tank for Caleb Williams" candidate. But, head coach Jonathan Gannon made it clear that Kyler Murray was their franchise quarterback. The 2023 season was about setting a culture, regardless of the win/loss total.
In last year's draft, the Cardinals traded down and acquired more picks, setting themselves up for better positioning in this year's draft. With Kyler Murray remaining on the roster, all in one year, the Cardinals were able to find their new head coach, set the tone of the future direction, and have a top-4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Between the first two days of the draft, the Cardinals had seven selections.
RD (PK) | SELECTION | SCHOOL |
|---|---|---|
1 (4) | WR Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State |
1 (27 via HOU) | EDGE Darius Robinson | Missouri |
2 (11 via ATL) | CB Max Melton | Rutgers |
3 (2) | RB Trey Benson | Florida State |
3 (7 via TEN) | OT Isaiah Adams | Illinois |
3 (18 via IND) | TE Tip Reiman | Illinois |
3 (27 via HOU) | CB Elijah Jones | Boston College |
4 (4) | S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | Texas Tech |
5 (3) | EDGE Xavier Thomas | Clemson |
5 (27 via HOU) | OT Christian Jones | Texas |
6 (15 via IND) | WR Tejhaun Palmer | UAB |
7 (6 via NYG) | CB Jaden Davis | Miami |
For Arizona, in particular, the third round was just a numbers game. With four selections in the third round, chances are one of them will pop. If I had to guess, I'd go with RB Trey Benson out of Florida State. Although James Connor had a great 2023 season, he does have an injury history, and when he went down with injury last season, the offense struggled. Finding the right compliment for him makes things easier on Kyler Murray, opening up the rest of this offense.
Day-1 Stud: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
One individual who will play a significant role in opening up this offense is their first-round selection, Marvin Harrison Jr. After losing Hollywood Brown in free agency, the Cardinals had a glaring hole at the wide receiver position and filled it with arguably the best prospect in this draft class. His route-running ability will transfer over well into the NFL and last time Kyler Murray had a true no.1. wide receiver (DeAndre Hopkins), the Cardinals offense was a scary sight to behold.
Potential Day-3 Steal: EDGE Xavier Thomas
Needing help on the edges and already drafting Darius Robinson in the first round, Xavier Thomas will be a developmental piece for Arizona. Despite playing in college since 2018, Thomas only played three full seasons. His strong point is his motor, he is relentless in his pass rush, but can also fatigue himself in doing so. Needs some work on hand technique and countering offensive tackles at the point of attack, but I do think he will get reps during regular season games.
Grade: A-