Trading back in opening round is a possibility for Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals could receive an offer they can’t refuse to trade back during the opening round of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

There was a reasonable amount of optimism surrounding the Arizona Cardinals as they embarked on the 2022 NFL campaign. After all, former head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s squad was coming off of their first postseason appearance in six years. Unfortunately, things went haywire, and the Cards finished the season with an ugly 4-13 record.

Thanks to their poor play last fall, Arizona will have the advantage of possessing the third-overall selection in this coming April’s draft. It’s an enviable position to be in, especially in the minds of clubs who are in dire need of a franchise signal-caller. Would the Cardinals consider trading the premier pick to an organization that has it’s eyes on one of this year’s blue-chip quarterbacks?

Moving back in the opening round could land Cards general manager Monti Ossenfort the additional compensation he’s going to need to get the Redbirds back into contention. In fact, the team could move back a few spots and still acquire one of college football’s highly-coveted players.

The two youngsters that Arizona has been connected with if they remain at number three are Alabama edge-rusher Will Anderson and Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Either one of those kids would be a tremendous addition to the roster. However, there are other desirable prospects who the Cardinals could target if they did decide to trade back on the opening night of the draft.

Arizona Cardinals could still land an impact player if they trade down

While he may not be ranked as high as Anderson, Texas Tech University’s Tyree Wilson is an accomplished pass-rusher in his own right. The Cardinals could probably move back five or six slots and still come away with the 6 foot 6, 275 pounder. Over the past two seasons, Wilson has racked up 99 tackles (27.5 for a loss) and 14 sacks for the Red Raiders defense.

Clemson University’s Myles Murphy could also be a disruptive force for Jonathan Gannon’s new-look defensive unit. In 35 collegiate appearances, the 6 foot 5, 275 pounder totaled 116 tackles (36 for a loss) and 18.5 sacks for the Tigers. Murphy also contributed five pass breakups and six forced fumbles during his three campaigns for the school.

If the Cards aren’t sold on Josh Jones as a right tackle for the future, Northwestern University’s Peter Skoronski would be a fine addition to the offensive line. The 6 foot 4, 315 pounder would allow the front office to move on from free agent Kelvin Beachum, who will turn 34 in June. Skoronski could pair with blindside protector D.J. Humphries to give Arizona a solid pair of bookend tackles for the next several years.

With the current state of the roster, the Cardinals could be open for business when the draft rolls around in April. Sure, it will be tempting for Ossenfort to grab either Anderson or Carter, and just be done with it. If an outstanding offer comes along, however, don’t be surprised if the first-year GM elects to parlay that valuable pick into a whole lot more.

(Statistics provided by College Football Reference)

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