With talks of blockbuster trades on draft day, the Arizona Cardinals could easily join the fun if they’d like to trade away the third overall pick.
The Arizona Cardinals have made necessary, but unspectacular moves in free agency this season. While the news comes to the dismay of fans, it should be a welcoming sight for those of us who believe the best way to build a winning team starts with the NFL Draft.
And since the Cardinals have the third pick in a quarterback-rich class toward the top of the board, they can pull off a blockbuster with either quarterback-needy teams, or even teams who may want to take a chance on one of the top four talents and sit them behind an incumbent starter.
Who are the top teams Big Red should try to strike a trade with? Keep reading for more.
Draft Day trades the Arizona Cardinals should consider
1 - Trading for the fourth overall pick with Indianapolis
This is the likeliest trade, and even Mel Kiper Jr proposed it in a recent mock draft. Here, the Indianapolis Colts would trade up one slot and snag Will Levis, who can sit behind Gardner Minshew while the latter operates as a bridge.
Such a trade would also be the most desirable if you’re an Arizona Cardinals fan, since Big Red would still scoop up the popular Will Anderson Jr fourth overall. Plus, the Cards could easily get the Colts second-rounder this season as part of the deal, which would give them three picks in the top 35.
2 - Trading for the seventh overall pick with Las Vegas
This one is the more obscure trade, but one we could see nonetheless if the Las Vegas Raiders are interested in snagging Anthony Richardson or Will Levis and developing them behind Jimmy Garoppolo. Of course, this is also assuming C.J. Stroud goes to the Carolina Panthers and Bryce Young ends up with the Houston Texans.
With Vegas trading up four spots to snag one of the two quarterbacks, the Arizona Cardinals would get far more compensation trade-wise. However, it’s highly unlikely that we will see them draft Will Anderson here. But with a deep class for defensive end/edge rusher, Tyree Wilson would be the likely target.
3 - Trading for the eighth overall pick with Atlanta
And finally, there is a chance the Atlanta Falcons would rather go with someone like Levis or Richardson (again, assuming Stroud and Young go first and second overall, respectively) over incumbent second-year player Desmond Ridder. And if this is the case, it’s likely the Falcons would rather have the power of choice between Levis or Richardson, prompting them to trade up with the Cards.
Once again, Arizona won’t be getting Anderson if this trade becomes a reality. However, you can expect them to snag Wilson with the eighth pick, and they would get the highest return in a deal with the Falcons.
Overall, the further Big Red trades down, the more compensation they will get. The downside is that they may not get the game-changer most fans want in Will Anderson.