Cardinals Have Crossroads Ahead Following NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals are plowing forward with the 2025 NFL Draft looming on April 24. But after those seven rounds conclude, Arizona will be staring at a crossroads.

No longer do the Cardinals have the luxury of resting on the idea the best is yet to come. It's time for some of their developmental players to become contributors.

While it's still expected that GM Monti Ossenfort will add a contributor in the first round or two, the Cardinals' 2025 draft class will likely be one that focuses more on the sustainability of a winning franchise, rather than getting them to a point where they can contend again.

There is no more rebuild. This is the roster that has to be able to win games, whether or not the Cardinals land a top-tier rookie.

For this reason, Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon are at a crossroads. Which direction will this roster go? There might always be room for improvement, but if this rebuilt squad can't find a way to at least remain relevant in the postseason conversation, there's no amount of faith that can be found in Cardinal fans.

For better or for worse, this draft will iron out the final touches on a roster that will bear the burden of expectations. It's not as if the expectations are high-pressure, but anything short of 10 wins will likely be seen as a failure — fair or not.

So when day three of the Draft concludes, the Cardinals will know, for the most part, who will be their present and future. There's no more room to tear down and rebuild, and there's little time remaining for development outside of this year's draft class.

Now, it's all systems go. The Cardinals could flame out and spiral back into an era of irrelevancy, or insert themselves as a new perennial nuisance to other NFL teams. They have the coaching and the roster to do it, but it won't come easy.