The Cardinals 2022 Draft: The 4-Year Results


By Walter Mitchell

Chad Reuter of nfl.com, absolutely loved the Cardinals 2022 draft haul. 

I too, thought this draft was chock-full of potential, although I was not a fan of the Cardinals giving up the #27 pick to the Ravens for WR Hollywood Brown. My pre-draft favorite pick for the Cardinals, CB Trent McDuffie, came off the board at #21 to the Chiefs, and so then I was hoping at #27 to see the Cardinals draft C Tyler Linderbaum.

I celebrated the McBride selection. 

https://www.nfl.com/news/2022-nfl-draft-final-quick-snap-grades-for-all-32-teams

Grade
A-
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals

Draft picks


Day 1 grade: B+

Day 2 grade: A

Day 3 grade: A


Analysis: Arizona traded for Marquise Brown, a college teammate of Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, on Thursday night. If Brown becomes a consistent playmaker, the swap will be a savvy move. McBride will contribute as a strong receiver and blocker while Thomas and Sanders were also good Day 2 picks to bolster the front seven. 


The Cardinals parted with their fourth-round pick in a 2021 trade to select cornerback Marco Wilson and sent their fifth-rounder to Philadelphia for tight end Zach Ertz. Those moves will pay dividends, as will picking Ingram to work his way through traffic as a complement to James Conner. Smith and Hayes will compete for playing time at guard as rookies. Luketa will do the same at edge rusher. He isn't the biggest or fastest player but adds needed depth and will contribute on special teams.


2022 Seasons:


1. WR Hollywood Brown (69.2) --- 12 games, 67 catches for 709 yards, 10.6 avg, 3 TDs


2. TE Trey McBride (51.0) --- 16 games, 29 catches, for 265 yards, 9.1 avg, 1 TD, 81.2 pass blocking grade


3. DE Cameron Thomas (69.9) --- 17 games, 16 tackles (8 solo), 19 QB pressures, 3 sacks


3. DE Myjai Sanders (53.5) --- 13 games, 20 tackles (14 solo), 17 QB pressures, 3 sacks


4. CB Marco Wilson (55.3) --- 14 games, 56 tackles (50 solo), 46 receptions on76 targets, 60.5%, 516 yds, 4 TD, 3 ints, 7 PBUs. 81.9 QBR


5. TE Zach Ertz (62.5) --- 10 games, 47 catches for 406 yards, 8.7 avg, 4 TDs


6. RB Keaontay Ingram (41.9) --- 11 games, 27 carries, 60 yards, 2.2 avg. 1 TD, 4 catches, 21 yards, 5.3 avg., 0 TDs


7. G Lecitus Smith (44.8) --- 10 games, 2 starts, 


8. CB Christian Matthew --- cut


9. OLB Jesse Luketa (60.8) - 7 gases, 2 QB pressures, 0 sacks, 3 tackles


10. G Marquis Hayes --- IR


2023 Holdovers:


WR Marquise Brown (67.1)


TE Trey McBride (76.3)


DE Cameron Thomas (58.5)


CB Marco Wilson (41.2) --- released after 11 games


TE Zach Ertz (50.8) --- released after 7 games


RB Keaontay Ingram (64.7) --- released after 7 games


LB Jesse Luketa (48.2) 


2024 Holdovers


TE Trey McBride (86.8)


2025 Holdovers


TE Trey McBride (81.7) 


Notes:


* C Tyler Linderbaum - 3 Pro Bowls in 4 NFL seasons


* DE Cameron Thomas' 2.5 sacks for the Browns last year would have been 2nd highest of the Cardinals' edge players in 2025:


--- Cameron Thomas CLE --- pass rushes 155 --- 2.5 sacks

-- Jordan Burch ARI --- 236 pass rushes --- 1 sacks 

--- Zaven Collins ARI --- 235 pass rushes --- 1.5 sacks

--- Baron Browning ARI --- 198 pass rushes --- 2 sacks

--- Cameron Thomas CLE --- pass rushes 155 --- 2.5 sacks


* Over the last 4 years with the Cardinals, Budda Baker, despite making Pro Bowls in all 4 years and Trey McBride, despite his emergence as a 1st Team All-Pro and 2-time Pro Bowler have suffered through the NFL's worst record during that span:


--- ARI: 19-49

--- TEN: 19-49


* The other Cardinals to endure the team's 4-year 19-49 record amidst the firing of GM Steve Keim, HC Kliff Kingsbury, DC Vance Joseph, HC Jonathan Gannon and STC Jeff Rodgers:


* Kelvin Beachum

* Zaven Collins 

*James Conner

*Greg Dortch

* Will Hernandez

* Kyler Murray

*Jalen Thompson


* Is it simply a bizarre coincidence that Cardinals' GM Monti Ossenfort's two teams as a front office employee over the past 4 years are tied for worst records over that span? 


* Cardinals' 4-Year Rankings 


Top 10 Rankings in Blue

Bottom Red Rankings in Red


Offense - Yards --- Passing --- Rushing --- Scoring


* 2022 --- 21 --- 18 --- 22 ---19

* 2023 --- 24 --- 26 --- 4 --- 24

* 2024 --- 12 --- 18 --- 7 --- 12

* 2025 --- 19 --- 7 --- 31 --- 23


Defense - Yards --- Passing --- Rushing --- Scoring


* 2022 --- 21 --- 24 --- 19 ---31

* 2023 --- 25 ---13 --- 32 --- 31

* 2024 --- 21 --- 14 --- 20 ---18

* 2025 --- 27 --- 24 --- 25 --- 29


Special Teams: Per PFF grades


* 2022 --- 9

* 2023 --- 11

* 2024 --- 16

* 2025 --- 16


Conclusions:


Cardinals Offense >>>> Cardinals' Defense. 


A defense that for 3 of the last 4 years has been one of the top 4 highest scored against defenses in the NFL and bottom half of the league in yards against, tackling, stopping the run and pass rush efficency.


 An offense has not been well-rounded and not as well quarterbacked since 2021. The Kyler Murray contract, as was easy to predict, given his immaturity and the low off-season morale of the Cardinals' locker room in 2022, set the team back 4 years.


Meanwhile, the Cardinals' special teams for the past 4 seasons were slightly above average under Jeff Rodgers. His fake punt success, however, was practically elite.  


Red Rain Question:


What are your thoughts and reactions to what you have seen and absorbed over the past 4 years?



Next Up: The Cardinals' 2023 Draft Class --- Where are they today?


2023 NFL Draft: Final quick-snap grades for all 32 teams


Grade
A
Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals

Draft picks


Day 1 grade: A

Day 2 grade: A

Day 3 grade: A-


Analysis: Arizona moved down three spots in the first round, essentially netting a 2024 first-round pick and still picking the athletic, versatile Johnson to bolster the line. Ojulari, Williams and Wilson were quality picks at need spots, though the latter two will need to put some injury issues behind them. They also picked up selections with two wise trades on Day 2.


The offensive line rebuild continued with the smooth-moving Gaines. The fifth-round run on quarterbacks included Tune, who might be a good backup for Kyler Murray. Getting Clark as a slot corner and Pappoe at linebacker were absolute steals.


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Comments

  1. RedrunJuly 3, 2026 at 11:12 AM

    The common denominator in these drafts was the selections being catered to to support Kyler Murray. Narrative was Kyler would succeed if only we surrounded him with top tier talent. The Brown trade was also made due to the PED (suspension for 6-games) violation of Hopkins which Keim was attempting to get in front of. Bottom line - none of the picks made to support Kyler worked to make Kyler any better, if anything he regressed.

    The other thing this highlights is how little they have gotten from draft as they didn't have coaching staff to develop all this young talent. This is especially so on the defensive side.

    We all had hope in each of these drafts that it would be draft to change the narrative of Cardinals being a failed franchise of Losing. Meanwhile our division foes (LAR, SF, and SEA) all re-tooled and hit on draft picks to keep them as legitimate contenders year after year. SEA changed its HC and got a winner, Cardinals change their HC three times with only losing records (save one year with Kingsbury) over those same years.

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