Arizona Cardinals Claw Out of the Basement: Post-Draft NFL Power Rankings Prove There’s Hope in the Desert

The confetti has settled on the 2025 NFL Draft. The final picks have been made, the undrafted free agents have been signed, and now the league collectively holds its breath as Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and minicamps get underway. For fans, this is the season of optimism—a fleeting window where every team is technically undefeated and every rookie looks like a future Hall of Famer. But for those of us who cover this sport for a living, the draft also provides the clearest lens yet to re-evaluate the NFL power rankings. The question on everyone’s mind: Who sits atop the league, and where do the Arizona Cardinals actually stand?

The answer for the Cardinals is complicated. They are not in last place. That is a victory in itself for a franchise that has been the punchline of the NFC West for the better part of three seasons. According to ESPN’s latest post-draft power rankings, the Cardinals have crawled out of the absolute cellar. However, the view from where they sit is still a chilly one. After coming in 28th in ESPN’s first offseason rankings, the Cardinals have actually fallen one spot to No. 29 following free agency and the draft. It is a slight regression, but one that comes with a fascinating asterisk: they are still ahead of three teams that many analysts believe are genuinely dysfunctional.

Let’s dissect why the Cardinals are where they are, why they aren’t dead last, and what this ranking means for a team that holds the longest odds to win Super Bowl LX and the shortest odds to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft.

Why the Cardinals Dropped (and Why It’s Totally Understandable)

At first glance, dropping a spot in the power rankings after the draft feels like a slap in the face. Shouldn’t adding new talent improve your standing? Not necessarily. The NFL is a relative league, and while the Cardinals added some intriguing pieces, other teams made splashier moves. The drop from 28th to 29th is a reflection of perception vs. reality. The reality is that the Cardinals are in a full-scale rebuild, and the market has priced them accordingly.

Let’s look at the cold, hard numbers that justify this ranking:

• Super Bowl Odds: The Cardinals have the longest odds of any team to win the Super Bowl. Las Vegas is not in the business of charity; these odds are data-driven.
• Win Total Projection: They have the lowest projected win total in the entire league. Most sportsbooks have them pegged at under five wins.
• 2027 Draft Position: They have the shortest odds to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 draft. That is not a typo. The betting public expects them to be the worst team in football this coming season.

This is the context for the No. 29 ranking. When you are the betting favorite to be the worst team, being ranked 29th is actually a minor miracle. It means that analysts see a glimmer of something—a young quarterback, a new defensive scheme, or a draft class that could outperform expectations. But make no mistake: this is a team that is expected to struggle mightily. The roster is still thin at premium positions like edge rusher and offensive tackle, and the quarterback room remains the biggest question mark on the roster.

However, the drop is also a function of other teams getting better. The teams that jumped the Cardinals—like the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers—made aggressive moves for veteran quarterbacks or drafted immediate-impact players. The Cardinals, by contrast, played the long game. They stockpiled picks and took a patient approach, which rarely wins you points in a post-draft power ranking.

The Three Teams the Cardinals Are Still Beating

Here is where the narrative gets interesting. While the Cardinals are sitting at No. 29, they are not alone at the bottom. They rank ahead of the Cleveland Browns (No. 30), the New York Jets (No. 31), and the Miami Dolphins (No. 32). Being better than these three teams is not exactly a badge of honor, but it does provide a crucial distinction: the Cardinals are perceived to have a brighter future than three franchises that are either in quarterback purgatory or salary cap hell.

Let’s break down why the Cardinals are above these three:

• Cleveland Browns: The Browns are a mess. They have a quarterback situation that is toxic, a massive cap hit from a fully guaranteed contract that is aging poorly, and a roster that is top-heavy with aging stars. The Cardinals, at least, have cap flexibility and a clean slate. Cleveland is trying to win now with a broken formula. Arizona is building for tomorrow.
• New York Jets: The Jets are the ultimate cautionary tale of “all-in” failure. They mortgaged the future for a veteran quarterback who played poorly, and now they are left with a roster that has no quarterback of the future and a defense that is getting older. The Cardinals have a younger core and a clearer path to a top draft pick.
• Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are the biggest surprise at the bottom. They have talent, but they are dealing with a quarterback who cannot stay healthy and a salary cap situation that is about to implode. Miami is the definition of a team stuck in the middle. The Cardinals are at least bad with a purpose.

Expert Analysis: The Cardinals’ ranking above these three teams is a testament to their organizational clarity. They know they are bad. They are not pretending to be contenders. In contrast, the Browns, Jets, and Dolphins are all trying to win now and failing. In the NFL, there is a difference between being bad and being hopeless. The Cardinals are bad. The other three are trending toward hopeless.

What the Draft Tells Us About the Cardinals’ True Trajectory

The 2025 draft class for the Cardinals was not flashy, but it was strategic. General Manager Monti Ossenfort continued his approach of trading back, accumulating assets, and targeting high-floor players rather than boom-or-bust prospects. This is the blueprint for a rebuild that takes three to four years, not one season.

The Cardinals did not reach for a quarterback. They did not trade the farm for a generational pass rusher. Instead, they added multiple picks in the top 100 and focused on the trenches and the secondary. This is the kind of boring, disciplined drafting that wins championships five years down the road, but it does nothing for your immediate power ranking.

Here is what the draft class signals for the 2025 season:

• Patience: The front office is not feeling pressure to win now. They are building a culture. That means the 2025 season will be about development, not wins.
• Competition: The Cardinals added depth. They are not going to be a pushover every week. Expect them to be competitive in the first half of games before their lack of star power catches up.
• Rookie Impact: Look for the top two picks to start immediately. The offensive line should be improved, which will help whoever is playing quarterback. The defense will still be porous, but there will be moments of promise.

Prediction: The Cardinals will win between three and five games. That will likely put them in the running for the No. 1 pick, which is exactly what they want. The power ranking of 29th is fair, but it is a ranking that comes with a caveat: they are the most underrated bad team in the league. They will lose games, but they will not embarrass themselves.

Conclusion: The View from No. 29 is Better Than You Think

When you are a sports journalist, you learn that NFL power rankings are snapshots of a moment, not prophecies. The Arizona Cardinals are sitting at No. 29, and the betting markets expect them to be the worst team in football. But here is the thing: they are not the Cleveland Browns. They are not the New York Jets. They are not the Miami Dolphins. Those teams are trapped in mediocrity or dysfunction. The Cardinals are just trapped in a rebuild.

There is a massive difference between being bad and being broken. The Cardinals are bad. They have a plan. They have cap space. They have a young general manager who is not afraid to make the hard choices. And they have a fanbase that is finally willing to be patient.

So, yes, the Arizona Cardinals are 29th in the post-draft power rankings. They are projected to have the fewest wins and the best chance at the No. 1 pick. But they are not in last place. And for a franchise that has been wandering in the desert for years, that is a step in the right direction. The climb back to relevance starts from the bottom—and the Cardinals are finally ready to start climbing.

Source: Based on news from Yahoo Sports.