ARIZONA — Many had hoped the chef hat on Arizona Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort wouldn’t fall during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Similar to 2023, it stayed on the entire time.
After the dust settled on this year’s draft – Ossenfort’s second at the helm here in the desert – Arizona walked away with a whopping 12 picks, the most in the NFL and the most by a single organizaton since 1992.
The Cardinals had needs for both quality and quantity – at the end of the three-day event, both were satisfied.
You’ve likely read a handful of pieces of how impressive Arizona’s haul was at various picks – but how good was their overall body of work?
NFL.com placed the Cardinals’ draft haul at No. 5 in the NFL.
Gennaro Filice with the breakdown:
“Last year, in his first draft at the helm, Monti Ossenfort established a reputation for wheeling and dealing even before making his first pick. Arizona’s general manager traded down from No. 3 overall to No. 12 and then vaulted back up to No. 6, where he finally selected Ohio State OT Paris Johnson Jr. In the lead-up to this year’s draft, Ossenfort publicly pronounced the Cardinals were open for business once again at No. 4.
“However, the GM ultimately stayed put and went right back to the football factory in Columbus, Ohio, enlisting the services of Buckeyes wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. You don’t always have to take the road less traveled, especially when a massive need is sitting right there, staring you in the face. Harrison’s name evoked a smorgasbord of glossy adjectives over the past year, from elite to transcendent to generational, which inherently attracted some skepticism during the exercise in overthinking that is the pre-draft process.
“Here’s what I see: a big-bodied true ‘X’ receiver with All-Pro upside. That’s a rare commodity any team would want, especially one with a soon-to-be 27-year-old quarterback heading into a huge season as his cap hit triples. Home-run pick — and I believe Ossenfort hit a bunch of singles and doubles in the remainder of the draft.
“Making a whopping eight selections among the first 104 picks, Ossenfort was able to sprinkle the roster with instant-impact prospects. Scheme versatility is all the rage in modern defense, and over the three-day event in Detroit, Arizona snagged a trio of defenders offering that trait. First-round pick Darius Robinson is a ‘first off the bus’ type as a physical specimen, and the 6-foot-5, 285-pounder’s ability to play all over the defensive line has earned him a best-case comp to Cam Jordan.
“Second-round corner Max Melton showcased inside/outside coverage ability as a four-year starter under Greg Schiano at Rutgers, then blew up the combine with an explosive workout. And Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, taken early in Round 4, has the range to play center field and the quick twitch to man the nickel. On the offensive side of the ball, the Cardinals added a home-run hitter to the backfield in Trey Benson, who’ll nicely complement veteran bruiser James Conner in the coming season.”
NFL executives really seemed to like the Cardinals’ draft – you can read more about that here.
Rookie camp for Arizona begins on May 10.
