Arizona Cardinals' 2022 NFL draft class among worst in some NFL draft grades, report cards

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Early 2022 NFL draft grades are in and some of them are not kind to the Arizona Cardinals.

Several grades for GM Steve Keim's selections have the Cardinals' class ranked near the bottom of the NFL with many writers questioning how much the team gave up in the Marquise Brown trade and some of the team's later selections.

The team received several D's and C's for its 2022 NFL draft class, but not all was bad, however, with some sites giving Arizona B's or A's.

Check out what they are saying about the Arizona Cardinals' 2022 NFL draft in NFL draft grades:

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USA TODAY Sports: Cardinals earn a D for 2022 NFL draft (class ranked last)

Nate Davis writes: "Mackey Award-winning TE Trey McBride (Round 2) is a sweet player, but are the Cards suddenly going base double-tight after re-signing Zach Ertz for three more years? But far more head scratching was sacrificing their first-round pick to get "Hollywood" Brown, a teammate of QB Kyler Murray at Oklahoma, both former Sooners heading into their fourth seasons. Brown has scary speed and maybe didn't get to showcase it enough on a Baltimore offense that wanted to run the ball. But hard to believe that GM Steve Keim didn't severely overpay – especially since he'll also presumably be on the hook for extensions for Brown and Murray any minute."

Sports Illustrated: Cardinals pick up a D for draft picks (class tied for second-worst)

Conor Orr writes: "This is the draft I’m prepared to be the most wrong about. We’ve been advocating for years that the Cardinals simply sell out and pour all available resources into their offense, so this should be a satisfying moment for us. However, their aging roster composition needs to be supplemented by long-term talent on affordable contracts. The Cardinals will have to extend both Kyler Murray and Hollywood Brown soon, both at the blistering heights of both positional markets. To sacrifice a first-round pick in this draft and pay nearly as much as the Eagles offered for A.J. Brown is difficult to stomach. Of course, this is assuming Brown doesn’t explode in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, one he is far more comfortable in compared to the Ravens’. If used correctly, Sanders has the most star potential in this class."

CBS Sports: Cardinals graded a C- for NFL draft selections (tied for second-worst grade)

Pete Prisco writes: "They opted to trade their first-round pick for Brown, which I didn't like. Taking edge rusher Cam Thomas and Sandra both in the second addresses a major need. Keep an eye on sixth-round guard Lecitus Smith. He has talent."

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Some NFL writers weren't exactly thrilled with GM Steve Keim and the Arizona Cardinals' 2022 NFL draft class.
Some NFL writers weren't exactly thrilled with GM Steve Keim and the Arizona Cardinals' 2022 NFL draft class.

Yahoo Sports: Cardinals earn a C- for 2022 NFL draft (tied for worst grade in NFC)

Eric Edholm writes: "They ended up with three picks in the top 100 and five picks after No. 200. Moving out of No. 23 cost them a shot to draft a badly needed cornerback high — Kaiir Elam went in that very spot, followed by Andrew Booth early in Round 2 — which could end up being a regretful decision. McBride can follow in Zach Ertz’s footsteps, but was tight end the biggest need? Sanders and Ingram were two trickier evaluations and could go either way. The terrific value picks of Luketa and Hayes were late saving graces. But for a team that one might assume wants to win now, we didn’t find a lot to latch onto, other than the dice roll on Hollywood."

Sporting News: Cardinals get a C for NFL draft choices (class ranked 27 out of 32)

Vinnie Iyer writes: "The Cardinals and GM Steve Keim set a questionable tone for the draft by giving up a first-rounder for Marquise Brown to appease Kyler Murray. McBride was the best tight end on the board, but it wasn't a need with Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams back in the mix. They did well working on their front seven needs with the upside of Thomas and Sanders, but should have looked more at linebacker before Luketa late. Ingram and the rest of the Day 3 picks were OK but not close to shrewd in terms of finding value. The Cardinals would have been better off tapping into a strong wideout class later than getting Brown."

Washington Post: Cardinals receive a B for 2022 draft

Mark Maske writes: "The trade for Marquise Brown addressed their receiver need, although the Cardinals may have given up too much. Second-round TE Trey McBride will be an asset for QB Kyler Murray. Arizona bolstered its pass rush with third-round choices Cameron Thomas and Myjai Sanders."

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CBS Sports: Cardinals land an A- for NFL draft in 2022

Chris Trapasso writes: "The Cardinals tripled down on edge rushers. Smart. And they picked good ones, too, with either awesome or feels-about-right value. McBride and Zach Ertz will be a fun combination at tight end and at least one of Marquis Hayes or Lecitus Smith will start sooner than later."

NFL.com: Cardinals receive an A- for 2022 NFL draft

Chad Reuter writes: "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."

How would you grade the Arizona Cardinals' 2022 NFL draft class?

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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NFL draft grades: Arizona Cardinals' 2022 draft class questioned