Arizona Cardinals
For starters, I’m not bothered that the Cardinals — in drafting a running back third overall — will guarantee Jeremiyah Love $50.5M, the most ever guaranteed to a player at his position.
You can’t let that impact your evaluation. It’s far worse to draft a lesser player, increasing the chances of that $50.5m being wasted, than it is to simply draft the player you want and think will have the best chance of succeeding.
I also don’t subscribe to the view that you *shouldn’t* take a running back early. It’s become a piece of football rhetoric overused by a section of very online types. The league currently has a handful of very important, very talented running backs who drive their teams to win games. Some of them, like Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, were high draft picks.
The question isn’t whether you should take Love at #3. If he’s your guy, it’s justifiable. It’s whether or not he should’ve been your guy.
Personally I thought Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa were both worth considering at #3. I never really understood the view that #3 was too high for either, yet they were both still typically mocked in the top-10. They are very good players playing premium positions capable of filling a huge void for the Cardinals.
Either player would’ve made Arizona more physical and tougher to beat up front and that should’ve been the aim of this draft as they prepare for what is likely to be a multiple-draft build.
If they didn’t rate Fano or Mauigoa, then fine. The Love pick is justifiable. I just think the smarter play would’ve been to add a cornerstone lineman, try to build a dominant pair of lines and lean on the trenches as the bedrock of a new era.
I wasn’t a big fan of Chase Bisontis as early as #34 but having passed on a lineman at #3, if he was their top guy it was an understandable decision. Pairing him with Fano or Mauigoa would’ve been a statement of intent worthy of respect.
Kaleb Proctor is worth a shot in round four. I’m not sure the tape of him wrecking the LSU O-line carries as much weight as the media have suggested though — LSU were arguably the worst coached team in college football in 2025 and their line struggled most weeks.
Then there’s Carson Beck in round three. I suppose you could say ‘why not’? They had no future at quarterback on the roster. A flier on a mid-round prospect, when they probably expect to be in the quarterback market again next year, is a reasonable shot to nothing.
I just have a hard time imagining Beck working in the league. His decision making has shown to be poor over two seasons with two different teams. He doesn’t see the field well enough. He lacks physical tools. He isn’t mobile and won’t be able to extend plays. He’s neither an accurate, surgical passer nor a physical dynamo. I can’t see him ever playing consistently good football, which begs the question wouldn’t they have been better off just adding more talent and rolling with Gardner Minshew or Jacoby Brissett as a bridge?
Overall I just don’t see this draft class changing their fortunes. It’s easy to imagine they’ll be very similar to last year, just with a more dynamic running back on the field. If the plan is to set the table for what might happen in the 2027 draft, I think putting everything into building a foundation would’ve been a better plan.
LA Rams
Let’s be clear, Ty Simpson isn’t a hopeless quarterback. There were definite flashes on tape — as we documented during the college season — where he showed genuine NFL-level throws. For a number of weeks we were talking about him potentially being QB1. That only changed when things tailed off towards the end of the season.
However, things did tail off. Despite the variety of excuses — illness, injury, teams sussing out what Alabama were doing — the fact is the season fell apart quickly and mistakes crept in. He went from a quarterback who protected the football and rarely turned it over to someone throwing a lot of interceptions and near-interceptions. He started to take sacks at a high rate as he attempted to keep plays alive without the escapability of Russell Wilson. You couldn’t help but wonder if we were getting a glimpse of what life would be like for him in the faster, more complex world of the NFL.
The ideal scenario would’ve been to go back to college, possibly with Miami who were sniffing around, and show that he could produce a full, consistent season of football. It would’ve been a low-risk move given the money on offer and the proven QB-platform the Hurricanes have become in the ACC. Yet he and his family seem to have been inspired by Rams GM Les Snead telling them Simpson would be a first round pick. I guess he didn’t lie.
Yet in the days after the draft, Adam Schefter reported that no other team would’ve taken Simpson in round one. The Cardinals wouldn’t have taken him at #34 either, according to Schefter. You just get the sense the Rams have reached in a quite epic way and for no obvious reason other than Matthew Stafford is 38-years-old and Simpson happened to be QB2 in a bad quarterback draft.
The aftermath of the pick has been handled shambolically.
Sean McVay’s phone call to Simpson portrayed a coach not entirely comfortable with the decision. The internet responded as you’d expect, leading the Rams PR machine to call any reporter in their phone contacts to explain McVay was simply ‘acting’ in order not to hurt Stafford’s feelings.
Firstly, if the Rams were worried about how Stafford would react to the call, just don’t put the video out. Or have Les Snead offer his congratulations to Simpson and leave it at that. This charade of McVay putting on a performance to send a message to Stafford is so laughable it’s astonishing that so many good people in the media have pedalled it without challenge.
For example, if they anticipated Stafford’s reaction and therefore created a ruse to placate him, how did they also not consider the reaction of the public to the pick if McVay is shown visibly seething not only during an awkward phone-call but also during a terse press conference?
What about Simpson’s feelings? Were they to be discarded given his big moment was spoilt somewhat by a performative gesture from his new coach? If I were Simpson, I’d have been a little bit anxious on draft night given what everyone was saying about McVay’s reaction.
And then there’s Stafford. Did he really need to see McVay looking a certain way to feel good about things in LA? That doesn’t sound very healthy. Could it not have been explained to him in a way that didn’t require McVay to do his best Ralph Fiennes impression when on the phone to Simpson? If I were Stafford, I’d be more insulted to hear my coach thought my ego needed him looking disinterested when speaking to the #13 overall pick than the concept of my potential future replacement being drafted.
It just seems like a farce. A badly handled situation that not enough people are willing to point out. It might not matter in the long run, when the actual football work gets underway and Simpson starts to learn from a master offensive mind and a brilliant veteran QB. We don’t need to baby the Rams though. They messed this up and should’ve had a better plan for dealing with their decision.
Should they have taken him? We’ll need to wait for the answer. I’m loathe to say ‘no’ because if he ends up being the long-term successful starter in LA, this will look foolish. He doesn’t have the typical physical traits you expect from a high pick though — nor the experience or success elevating his college team.
Dan Orlovsky tried to make an argument this week that the Rams wouldn’t have benefitted from drafting a receiver at #13 instead. It was a weak point that is easily dismissed. The Rams have Davante Adams who turns 34 on Christmas Eve and Puka Nacua — a player who has been on something of an adventure in recent months. They suffered when they lost Adams to injury late last season. It’s very easy to imagine how a dynamic, young receiver such as Makai Lemon could’ve helped them in a big way. If Adams or Nacua miss time — and who’d bet against that currently — the Rams may rue this decision.
It also didn’t have to be a receiver. Imagine Vega Ioane at left guard for the next 8-10 years. Or Rueben Bain Jr rotating into the pass-rush. Or Kenyon Sadiq operating within their TE-heavy system.
The only argument for drafting Simpson at #13 is that the Rams must really believe in him. They must see something that most (if not all) other teams haven’t seen. I can’t help but feel other teams would’ve been roundly criticised for this decision and the Rams are getting the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps that’s justifiable given their run under Snead and McVay. Or perhaps they should be critiqued more — not only for this selection but the execution of how they went about delivering the news.
Max Klare in round two felt like a big reach, as with the other tight ends drafted in a bizarre day-two run. Keagen Trost didn’t do much of anything in college until he landed at his fourth stop — Missouri. The Tigers are always tough and physical in the trenches but without the great traits of an Armand Membou, many of their players have struggled to make the step up to the NFL.
This feels like a low or even no impact draft class at a time when the Rams should be maximising their window after missing out last season.
One final thought — I always figured when the Rams moved on from Stafford they would repeat the act that bought them success in the first place. I thought they’d go out and trade for his replacement. I can imagine many quarterbacks would jockey for the opportunity to go and play for McVay in California. That could still happen in the near future, especially with rumblings about Joe Burrow applying some pressure on the Bengals to start winning. But you’d think the Rams would want to do everything they can to ‘win now’ with Stafford then just buy the next version whenever that time comes.
Maybe that’s easier said than done — but when a vacancy emerges in LA, a lot of quarterbacks would be pressuring to make that move if they thought they could make it happen.
San Francisco 49ers
I can’t tell you how boring I found the debate around ‘consensus boards’ online. Thankfully after a dull 24 hours my ‘for you’ timeline on X went back to the Vrabel/Russini saga and videos of dogs.
I am going to stick up for the 49ers here though. I think you have to judge every player on how you see them. You can’t be worrying what others think. Every year I fight having my own opinions influenced by what the media consensus is saying. Every national mock draft, you’ll have noticed, was virtually the same in the final month of this draft cycle. Group think takes hold and can be a problem.
When I watched De’Zhaun Stribling I thought he was a heck of a player. He did everything well. He also tested well. It’s very hard to find flaws in his game. So why shouldn’t the 49ers take him 33rd overall?
Everyone’s acting like this isn’t the team who found great value in this range with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. I really liked both players when they entered the league and I like Stribling. I actually fear this will end up being a really smart pick by Kyle Shanahan.
That’s the other thing that needs pointing out here. John Lynch, the GM, is getting a heavy dose of criticism for San Francisco’s picks. Kyle runs the show. So unless he’s going to relinquish that power so the 49ers can hire a more orthodox GM, I think fingers are being pointed at the wrong person. Lynch is not doing the same job as John Schneider.
Now let’s go further down their list. Romello Height is perfectly acceptable value in round three and they needed a pass rusher. Grace Halton is cracking value in round four. I talked up Carver Willis a lot and think he could be a gem of a pick, also in round four. Ephesians Prysock is also well worth taking a chance on.
The only pick I think was a head-scratcher was Kaelon Black — that to me is likely going to just be another name we add to the list of running back flops drafted by Kyle in the middle rounds.
Overall though — if the Seahawks had picked these players, I’d be making the case for all of the names I mentioned above, with the exception of Black. I’m going to treat the Niners with the same critical eye. I think they added some good players.
Over the years they’ve added plenty of players I liked more than ‘the consensus’. That includes blog favourites Samuel, Aiyuk, Fred Warner, George Kittle and Talanoa Hufanga. I’m not saying this group will produce the same results but the idea the 49ers are useless at drafting doesn’t chime.
What I would say though is I’m not sure this class makes the 49ers a tougher proposition within the NFC West. For me, they needed to prioritise becoming the biggest, toughest and most physical unit in the division again. That’s how they bullied and dominated the NFC in the recent past. They should’ve focussed on the trenches.
Instead they spent big money on receivers and then their top draft asset on another. If anything, they look even more finesse today than they did a year ago. Meanwhile several key players will need to return from serious injuries and play at a high level for them to feel like a serious contender, rather than a banged-up overachiever like last year.
I like their collection of players and think the criticism of the value is wide of the mark. I’m just not sure they had the right plan this off-season to take on the best the NFC has to offer.
