The Arizona Cardinals are in a position that no NFL team wants to be in- the middle.
The team isn’t currently good enough to contend, but isn’t bad enought to get a top pick. Thus, the team is slated to have the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There are several different directions the team could go in the first round as well.
In free agency, the Cardinals mostly focused on defense. Edge-rusher Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, and linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither highlight the team’s outside additions.
Most people are wondering what player the team could take with the No. 16 pick, but we’re instead going to identify the players the team should avoid in the first round.
Walter Nolen, DL, Ole Miss
One of the positions the Cardinals need to add is defensive lineman. Walter Nolen is one of the best at that position, so the Cardinals would likely be interested.
Nolen isn’t a true nose tackle, though, and that’s the type of defensive lineman the Cardinals need the most. Evaluators project the Ole Miss product to play as a 3-technique in the NFL, but with Calais Campbell and Darius Robinson on the team, that’s not the biggest need area.
Nolen is a dominant presence on the interior, but would be a weird fit in Arizona. Kenneth Grant is probably the team’s preference at No. 16, but if he isn’t there, the team should address the position later instead of reaching for Nolen.
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
Malaki Starks is likely the best natural safety prospect in this class.
The Georgia product dominated in 2023, but his play took a step back in 2024. Still, Starks is a natural leader with a relentless motor who isn’t afraid to make contact.
Starks’ skillset could interest the Cardinals and he will likely be available when the team comes up to pick. However, with Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson on the roster, safety isn’t the biggest need.
Starks will be hard to pass on, but the defender isn’t the cleanest fit in Arizona.
Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
If Starks isn’t the first safety off the board, then it will likely be Nick Emmanwori.
Emmanwori dominated in the SEC for South Carolina and is a hard-hitting safety who thrives in run defense. However, some evaluators believe Emmanwori could move to linebacker at the next level due to his inconsistencies in coverage.
Cardinal fans will be reminded of another safety prospect who eventually converted to linebacker in Isaiah Simmons. Simmons was drafted with the No. 18 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, and the Cardinals never could figure out how to get the best out of him.
Emmanwori and Simmons aren’t the same player, but the Cardinals should stay away from a “tweener” prospect regardless.
Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona
The final prospect the Cardinals should stay away from in the first round is in-state wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
McMillan is arguably the best wide receiver in this class, so don’t take this as a knock. The Arizona product is a big-bodied, reliable receiver who catches everything in his orbit and has surprising speed.
However, the Cardinals just used a first-round pick on wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2024. Harrison, Zay Jones, and Michael Wilson are the team’s projected starters at receiver, and all three of those players stand at at least 6-foot-2.
Adding another big receiver to the room doesn’t make a ton of sense. It would be wiser for the team to add a speedy receiver later on to bring a different dynamic.
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