Capital Gains for 2025 Arizona Cardinals on Jon Gaines II

by Walter Mitchell

Yes, my friends, we are one week away from the Arizona Cardinals' first pre-season game, at home versus the Kansas City Chiefs, and I thought today that I would provide you with my first of a handful of players who, in my opinion, are going to be worth matching in that game and beyond. 

Today's featured player: G Jon Gaines II.



I was so excited to hear that the Cardinals drafted 6-4, 304 G Jon Gaines II that just after the pick was announced, I posted this on Twitter:

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Walter B J Mitchell
@WBJMItch
Talk about 🐦🏈getting alignment from GM to coaching staff, G/C Jon Gaines II is a super fit in Drew Petzing's and OLC Klayton Adams new zone blocking scheme because of his feet and his ability to pull, trap and iso block on the move. ARI finally gitting-it!

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Before Jon Gaines' leg injury during his first pre-season with the Cardinals, there was a chance that he could see some regular playing time. Last year, his sophomore season in the NFL, he was a swing G/C who played in 6 games. 

This year, JGII is balling something fierce in training camp. Check this out one-on-one performance from yesterday's practice (thanks to Paul Calvisi):

https://x.com/PaulCalvisi/status/1951427203171786948

Pound for pound, CFA NT Elijah Simmons from Tennesse (featured later on this week) at 6-1, 334 pounds has been giving the Cardinals interior blockers everything they can handle thus far. Therefore, the way Jon Gaines was able to leverage Simmons, stand him up and square him off is an outstanding display of pure power, proper hand and foot techniques and a superbly balanced base.

Fact is, Jon Gaines II is playing he looks like every iota the part of an NFL starting guard. The good thing for the Cardinals is --- second-year G Isaiah Adams has been one of the "all-stars" of training camp (per Jonathan Gannon) thus far and what Adams' and Gaines' growth means to the Cardinals' offensive line depth and their ability to draft and develop players is extremely encouraging. 

While I have a deep respect and appreciation for Will Hernandez, if the Cardinals were to re-sign him, it would not be for depth purposes --- not starting him would not be fair to the player who arguably was the best offensive guard in the NFC West before his injury last season --- and at this point, with Isaiah Adams and Jon Gaines II being RG1 and RG2 on the depth chart and playing so well in camp, the Cardinals should keep focusing on accelerating the progress of their draft picks by playing them the most snaps they can. 

Let's not forget how Steve Keim invested 3rd round picks in Michigan C Mason Cole and Houston T Josh Jones and 4th round picks in West Virginia C Evan Boehm and Pittsburgh G Dorian Johnson and then signed veterans whom the coaches played in front of them, to the detriment of the draft picks. Thus, it is refreshing to see the Cardinals arduously attempting to receive "draft capital gains" on the likes of Paris Johnson Jr. (Round 1 2023), Isaiah Adams (Round 3 2024), Jon Gaines II (Round 4 2023), Christian Jones (Round 5 2024) and Hayden Conner (Round 6 2025).

Yes, three years ago, I was ecstatic about Jon Gaines' nifty fit with Drew Petzing and Klayton Adams --- and, lo and behold --- JGII's new offensive line coach, Justin Frye, was the offensive line coach at UCLA under Chip Kelly. 

If you look up "serendipity" in the dictionary, a photo of Gaines and Frye is sitting right next to it.



Comments

  1. Since 61August 2, 2025 at 4:15 PM

    JGll as a starter reg contributor would be a dramatic example of impactful to a OL squad historically ignored by this franchise. Tells me we hired a solid replacement for a terrific OL who we lost to a successful franchise and our FO understands the need to draft and develop OL talent every season

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Walter MitchellAugust 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM

      Agreed, 61. Developing your own picks should be a priority, especially if the GM is adamant about aligning the coaches' schemes with the players.

      Delete
  2. sneakyjobuAugust 3, 2025 at 11:29 AM

    Boehm is an older player so great depth is excellent to have. Gaines looks like he is in line to take over the starting role either this year through injury or next season is he is just flat out better than Boehm. Good problem to have.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Walter MitchellAugust 3, 2025 at 2:13 PM

      Good assessment. Having Jon Gaines II behind Evan Brown, Hjalte Froholdt and Isaiah Adams feels good about Gaines' future in Arizona. Did you see that he played center with the first team at the Red and White?

      Delete

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