3 Questions Cardinals Must Answer Before NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals will have plenty to figure out as the 2025 NFL Draft looms large on the near horizon. GM Monti Ossenfort has dedicated monetary resources to improving the team in free agency, but there's still some uncertainty surrounding this year's draft.

The Cardinals have to answer these three critical questions as the NFL draft gets closer:

1: Is the Offense Set?

The Cardinals haven't done much to improve their offense in free agency. Perhaps that was due to a lack of solid market in the WR and OL department, but nonetheless, it looks like much of the same unit set to take the field in 2025.

Ossenfort has to decide if the offense is set enough to leave as-is, or to select an offensive player in a later round with hopes of developing them into a future contributor.

The Cardinals look thin at WR, and seem to be lacking significant OL depth as of this writing. If they do target a defensive player - which would be an understandable pick - it might be another lean year for the offense.

2: Is the Defense Set Up for Future Growth?

The Cardinals are hoping for a leap out of BJ Ojulari and Darius Robinson in 2025. Perhaps they are banking a little too hard on that. It's a fair question, and if those two players do pan out the way Arizona expects them do, the Cardinals will be relatively set for the future.

But Dalvin Tomlinson is 31, and Calais Campbell, ever the ageless wonder, is entering his age-38 season. The Cardinals needed significant talent along the DL, and they added it, but there's a lifespan attached to that position if they don't see growth from their young players.

So Ossenfort will have to decide: is there enough evidence to assume Ojulari and Robinson can man the DL in a major way down the road, or is a premier first-round pass rusher or interior DL necessary to maintain proficiency at the position.

3: How Close are the Cardinals?

The Cardinals have to be in the playoff mix, entering year three of the Ossenfort-Gannon regime. Football is unpredictable, and there's no guarantee Arizona will be in the dance come next January.

But, they have to be at least relevant in the playoff picture. The degree to which they are a serious contender is in the air, and could provide a dilemma for Ossenfort when considering a potential Draft trade.

If the Cardinals are ready to truly make an impact in the playoffs, it might be better to go all-in on early round talent and maintain the 16th overall pick, but if Ossenfort is thinking more toward the future, a trade down could provide more swings at developmental players for seasons down the road.

Of course, both outcomes could equally pan out (or not) in either a win-now direction or a future-focused direction, but the Cardinals have been hesitant to go all-in before. That seems to have changed with the way Ossenfort approached free agency, but the Cardinals have generally maintained a future mindset.