👋 GOOD MORNING
Happy Thursday! I hope your week is going well — one more work day! I’ll get to the latest Cardinals mock drafts below, but let’s start with a moment of silence for the Arizona Coyotes, who played their final game in the state one year ago today. I cannot believe it’s been a year already. As a former Coyotes employee, not to mention a lifelong NHL fanatic, it still hurts. But the eternal optimist in me hopes the league will return in the not-too-distant-future.
To that note, tune in today at 10:30 am for the PHNX Hockey podcast to hear from Leah, Petey, Craig and myself on those very topics!! It’s going to be a special show, and we have a bunch of surprises in store!
One last note: Remember, if this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up for the newsletter right here, and I’ll keep you in the loop with everything going on this summer! Don’t miss a beat!
On to the show!
Cardinals Mock Draft 4.0 – What’s Changed?
It’s that time yet again!
The 2025 NFL Draft is next weekend in Green Bay, so I’m taking a weekly peek at the latest mock draft boards to highlight what various pundits across the football landscape are predicting. This week’s edition is special given the release of the ALLCITY Monster Mock Draft, in which draft expert Fran Duffy predicted all 257 picks, including a few trades. The big board has shifted greatly since the end of the NFL season, and this week is no exception.
Preferences Shift Again In Mock Drafts
Before free agency, almost every talking head was focused on the Cardinals’ defense, primarily around the pass rush or defensive line. Then Arizona went and got a guy like Josh Sweat in the free agent market, and suddenly their needs shifted. Honestly, much of the conundrum rests in the Cardinals’ draft position, because picking 16th overall puts them in a selection-like-purgatory where GM Monti Ossenfort and his staff need to decide whether they’re going to take the best available player, or try to address a specific position of need.
Last week’s mock drafts were slightly heavier on the offensive side of the ball — two wideouts were listed as opposed to just one this week — but most publications have continued to emphasize defense at pick 16.
Here’s how the most recent mock drafts from many of the major publications have shaken out:
- Fran Duffy, ALLCITY – Edge Mykel Williams, Georgia (Following a trade with Miami to move up to 13)
- Mel Kiper, ESPN – CB Jahdae Barron, Texas
- Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports – OT Josh Simmons, Ohio State
- Adam Rank, NFL.com – IOL Tyler Booker, Alabama
- Nate Davis, USA Today – LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
- Gilberto Manzano, Sports Illustrated – CB Will Johnson, Michigan
- Andrew Erickson, FantasyPros – DT Mike Green, Marshall
- Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News – LB Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
- Ben Arthur, Fox Sports – WR Matthew Golden, Texas
My take: I will remain steadfast in my belief that no matter where the Cardinals pick next week, they should focus on defense. Arizona ranked 21st in the league in yards allowed per game (342.5), 20th in total takeaways (17) and 15th in points per game (22.3). The offense, meanwhile, ranked 11th in total yards per game (358.2, just behind Josh Allen and the Bills), seventh in rushing yards per game (144.2) and 12th in points per game (23.5).
Don’t misunderstand — I’m not saying the offense can’t improve, but Arizona is in a good spot with guys like Kyler Murray and James Conner leading the way. But the truly good teams just always seem to have that extra edge on defense, and I think it would be a mistake to use a top-16 pick on offense this year.
Take a deeper dive: Check out the PHNX Cardinals 100, a big board all about how Arizona can address its biggest needs.
Musings From Around (and Sometimes Beyond) The Valley
D-backs Keep Rollin: The Diamondbacks continued their winning ways with a 6-2 win over Miami yesterday, and have now won four straight and six of their last seven. They’ll go for the sweep tomorrow, though there may not be many people there to see it: The COMBINED TOTAL attendance for the first two games is 15,762 😬
We Hardly Knew Ye: Three more Sun Devil football players entered the transfer portal yesterday; RB Alton McCaskill, OL Kaden Haeckel and WR Max Ware. The Wildcats had two players enter yesterday: WR Sam Graci-Glazer and QB Cole Tannenbaum.
Not in Kansas Anymore: The Mercury signed Kansas State’s Temira Poindexter to a free agent contract, a testament to the strong season she had with the Wildcats this season. Poindexter averaged 12.5 points per game while shooting 45.5 percent, which earned her All-Big 12 Third Team recognition.
🧢 Tip of the Hat by Branded Bills
Asking the hard hitting questions!
