Tonight, the Arizona Cardinals will be on the clock with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but there are scenarios where that may not be the case.
General manager Monti Ossenfort has all the control over what he will do – select the best player available or trade down and try to stock up on multiple assets.
As an example of Ossenfort not shying away from dealing a high pick at the draft, it was only last year that the Cardinals traded the No. 3 pick to the Houston Texans. In exchange, Arizona received the No. 12 and No. 33 picks in the 2023 draft, a first-rounder and a third this year.
Acquiring multiple assets by trading down, Ossenfort then flipped the No. 12, No. 34 and No. 168 picks to the Detroit Lions, receiving the No. 6 and No. 81 selections as part of the deal. The Cards would end up selecting OT Paris Johnson Jr. with the sixth pick.
Fast forward to now, The Cardinals GM still hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a similar scenario happening once again.
“We’ve had talks with multiple teams and multiple teams have checked in with us,” Ossenfort said in a video posted by Arizona Sports Cardinals reporter Tyler Drake. “That happens beforehand, that happens on the clock but different teams have different motivations. We’ll see how this one plays out.”
Teams needing a quarterback, including the New York Giants, Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings, are potential trade partners to keep an eye on as the draft inches closer. Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (UNC), Jayden Daniels (LSU), J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) are some of the top quarterbacks who may all end up in the first round.
If Arizona sticks with the fourth pick, however, the popular choice to select has been Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Since the Cardinals’ receiver core desperately needs some star power, Harrison Jr. is projected to be drafted by Arizona as the best player available in the wideout position.
During the offseason, the Cardinals lost Marquise Brown to free agency and traded Rondale Moore to the Atlanta Falcons. As of right now, Chris Moore, Zach Pascal, Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch, Dan Chisena, Jeff Smith, Andre Baccellia, Kaden Davis and Daniel Arias make up the team’s current receiver situation.
Time will tell with what Ossenfort and the Cards’ front office will do as the 2024 NFL Draft is just hours away. The draft is set to begin at 5 p.m. PT tonight on ESPN.
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