The Arizona Cardinals would be wise to trade down in the 2023 NFL Draft since this offseason is mainly about rebuilding the team.
Right now, many in the Red Sea are in the No One But Will Anderson Jr. Camp. And I get it. Will Anderson Jr. would be an excellent fit for the Arizona Cardinals, but taking him would come at the expense of failing to maximize on the number of draft picks general manager Monti Ossenfort can accumulate.
The Cardinals only have five selections at the moment, with another possible three compensatory picks along the way, which would bring the total to eight. But with a team figuring to have a plethora of roster holes given all the pending unrestricted free agents out there, this team is in a precarious situation.
Therefore, with such a deep draft class at edge, it would be in Ossenfort’s best interest to strongly consider trading down. This would, in turn, allow the Arizona Cardinals to snag a few more draft picks, and fill the roster with young talent.
Arizona Cardinals should consider trading down
We already discussed the possibility of the Cardinals trading down on this page. If they traded even to the middle of the first round, there is still a good chance they could take an edge rusher like Tyree Wilson, Myles Murphy, or Kelon White.
Chances are, they could swap picks with a quarterback-needy team like the Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, or even the Carolina Panthers. This would give the Cards potentially three picks in the top 40, where they can fill potential holes at defensive line, interior offensive line, and cornerback.
By trading back, the chances of the roster looking at least halfway decent will increase substantially. This becomes even more prevalent if the Cards are unable to hold onto some of those pending unrestricted free agents and are quiet during free agency.
Overall, don’t be disappointed if you see the Cardinals trade down. This team needs draft picks to bring in some young talent. And they may also need to fill a few more roster spots than you may think.