It’s the worst-kept secret heading into the NFL Draft that the Arizona Cardinals are looking to move down from the No. 3 pick.
Arizona already has a long-term solution at quarterback in that of Kyler Murray. In the midst of a long-term rebuild, the idea of adding more draft assets has to be appealing to first-year general manager Monti Ossenfort.
With the draft quickly approaching, ESPN’s Dianna Russini is reporting that the Arizona Cardinals are currently mulling offers from multiple teams interested in the third selection.
Whether anything comes to fruition on this front remains to be seen. A lot of it depends on what the Houston Texans plan on doing right now. With hours to go before the draft is set to start in Kansas City, Houston seems to be targeting Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson at two. Anderson himself is a target of the Cardinals, meaning that this most-recent report suggests that he could very well land in Houston.
If the Texans go Anderson, it opens things up a bit for Arizona to trade down. Assuming Bryce Young goes No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers, quarterback-needy teams would then want to jump the Indianapolis Colts (fourth) for a signal caller with the targets being C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.
Related: 2023 Arizona Cardinals mock draft
Potential Arizona Cardinals trade scenarios in the NFL Draft
The likeliest scenario at this late stage in the pre-draft process is the Las Vegas Raiders moving up from seven to select the embattled Stroud. They have been linked to the Ohio State product throughout the offseason and have a long-term need at quarterback with stopgap option Jimmy Garoppolo holding things down.
The Atlanta Falcons (eighth), Tennessee Titans (11th), Houston Texans (12th) and Washington Commanders (16th) are also options.
Meanwhile, Sportsnaut NFL insider Benjamin Allbright suggests that the Minnesota Vikings are still looking to trade up from 23. While that would cost a whole heck of a lot, they need a long-term option to replace Kirk Cousins moving forward.
Either way, the Arizona Cardinals are one of the top storylines heading into the 2023 NFL Draft later this evening.