While it’s still fairly early in the draft evaluation process, there is no surefire No. 1 pick so far in this year’s prospect pool. While many would suggest Bryce Young, even he has flaws. For the Arizona Cardinals, who hold the No. 3 overall pick, the top of the draft has a lot of question marks.
Chances are, a quarterback will go either first or second overall, and there’s a possibility both picks will be QBs. If so, the Cardinals could find themselves in a position to select the top-rated player on their draft board. With Kyler Murray already in tow, albeit recovering from offseason ACL surgery, that player is almost certainly not going to be a QB.
Instead, they could be looking at a number of top defensive draft prospects, such as Georgia’s Jalen Carter, Alabama’s Will Anderson, or possibly even Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson to name a few.
But there’s also a scenario that could play out where a team tries to contact the Cardinals with an offer too good to refuse. This could be a product of organizations trying to trade up to secure their QB of the future. If so, the Cardinals could be a direct beneficiary.
While they could go the easy route and simply stand pat and select a player, new Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort is being wise early on. He says the team is open for business when it comes to considering a trade down from No. 3 overall.
With Murray likely to miss a healthy portion of the season, the Cardinals may be better off trying to stay the course, aiming to bounce back in a huge way in 2024. If so, a trade down while collecting more assets that allow them to build around Murray and add more pieces to first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon’s defense could be the winning move.
So many teams try and find a future face of the franchise at QB each season, and there happens to be several organizations picking in the top ten who are desperate for change at the position. Perhaps the Cardinals can land a haul once teams solidify their draft boards as they fall in love with this year’s QB prospects.
Related: 2023 NFL mock draft: Indianapolis Colts trade up to No. 1, Raiders move up for QB