Who is the Arizona Cardinals most ideal trade partner for the 2023 NFL Draft?

With the 2023 NFL Draft just three weeks away, we are awaiting what the Arizona Cardinals will do with the third overall pick.

As it stands, we are almost certain the Arizona Cardinals will trade the third overall pick either to someone else selecting in the top ten, or they may even swap with someone picking in the middle of the round. But they can only trade with one team, so who would, ideally, Arizona swap with to get the best bang for their draft bucks?

Of course, the further general manager Monti Ossenfort trades down, the more compensation he will get. And if he decides to stay in the top ten, or even the top five, he may likely get less compensation, but his chances of landing a surefire star at the next level increase. 

But, with so much talent at quarterback in this draft, he has tremendous odds to snag a ransom if he traded down to the fourth overall pick with the Indianapolis Colts. This is further evident thanks to the fact Indy seems to be looking for a new, young quarterback, as opposed to acquiring aging veterans that have stagnated the team over the past few seasons. 

Arizona Cardinals should just trade down one spot in the draft

It’s agreed that Will Anderson Jr. is the best defensive player in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he could even be the top overall prospect. Since the Cardinals could use an edge rusher with game-changing potential, and a proven commodity at least at the college level, then they need not look further. 

Trade down with Indianapolis, get some generous trade compensation so the Colts can draft their next potential franchise quarterback, and get yourself a potential cornerstone in Anderson. So what would a trade with Indy entail? Look for the Cardinals to acquire the following:

This trade would be similar to what the Cards got back in 1998 when they swapped spots with the San Diego Chargers. Except instead of getting a couple of veterans, they’ll get another draft pick. 

Overall, this trade provides the best win-win scenario. Ossenfort excites an increasingly disgruntled Arizona Cardinals fanbase with Anderson, and he still gets an extra pick in the Top 35, which if you’re keeping track, gives him back-to-back picks in the second round.