The Arizona Cardinals have a good problem in the 2023 NFL Draft
By Sion Fawkes
It’s not every day that you are faced with a win-win situation in the NFL Draft. But for the Arizona Cardinals, that’s exactly what they have in 2023.
The Arizona Cardinals will have at least 10 selections overall if they trade back in the 2023 NFL Draft. Or, if they believe Will Anderson Jr. can be more than the game-changer everyone believes he will become, they can stay put at number three overall and draft him, assuming he doesn’t go to the Carolina Panthers or the Houston Texans.
Either way you look at this, the Cardinals can’t lose. At least in foresight. Sure, Anderson could be the next Vernon Gholston if general manager Monti Ossenfort stays with the third overall pick and snags him, and yeah, Ossenfort could pull off his best impression of Steve Keim if he trades down and collects draft picks. We'll know the answer to that in 2026.
But at this point, the only problem the Cardinals are facing is the good old ‘Quality or Quantity’ debate. And again, it’s a debate that has no right or wrong answer two weeks out from the draft.
Arizona Cardinals will bring excitement to the fans following the draft
I’ve made the case for getting it right with Will Anderson Jr., but I’ve also made the case for passing up on him. The common denominator is that I’ll be satisfied regardless of what Ossenfort decides to do.
Trade down and snag Quentin Johnston, before improving the defensive line and edge in the second and third round? Great. Stay with the third overall pick, draft Anderson in the first round, then take someone like, say, Calijah Kancey in the second round? That works too.
Regardless of what happens, expect the Cardinals to land a marquee draft pick. And one that you can expect to be, at worst, a major contributor in 2023. Despite the doom and gloom currently surrounding this team, a solid draft haul that the Cardinals will get makes it a good time to be a fan of this team.
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Source: Cardinals' draft dilemma: Stay at No. 3 for best prospect or trade down by Josh Weinfuss, ESPN.com