Cardinals Balance Draft Picks, Skip Key Positions

0:00On April 27th, the Arizona Cardinals wrapped up the 2026 NFL Draft, sticking to their seven original picks, grabbing a balanced mix of, offensive and defensive talent. That's a shift from last year when they loaded up mostly on defense. They added players who should boost competition across the roster right away. They made smart moves in the trenches, snagging second round guard Chase by Sontas, who's ready to start day one with his skills in run and pass. Then in the fourth round, they took defensive lineman Caleb Proctor, an athletic FCS standout who fits perfectly next to Walter Nolan III. Now four of five offensive line starters are locked in, strengthening both sides where games get decided. Fans and analysts are buzzing about first round running back Jeremiah Love at number three overall, but his rookie deal around 53 million. Dollars makes him the highest paid back in the league before he even plays. It's a huge gamble tying up that cap space and salary expectations on an unproven guy,

1:01even if he's got star potential. The real head scratcher is, they skip chances to fix two big roster gaps, no top edge rusher to pair with Josh Swead and no starting right tackle. Opposite Parrish Johnson Jr., free agency ads are just depth and last year's edge guys barely cracked four and a half sacks combined. Still, the front office seems confident these picks raise the floor across the team. We'll see how it plays out in camp, but for now, Arizona's betting on balance over plugging every hole. From around the league, powered by AI, this is NFL News Today. I'm Corey with The Story.