Final seven-round mock draft: Arizona Cardinals trade third pick to Atlanta
By Sion Fawkes
The 2023 NFL Draft takes place in just over 24 hours. Here is our final mock draft for the Arizona Cardinals, featuring a trade with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Arizona Cardinals could realistically make three huge trades in the 2023 NFL Draft. The likes of Budda Baker and DeAndre Hopkins could both wind up in another city, and the Cards could land such a ransom of picks, they may fill most if not all the remaining holes on their roster in one short weekend.
But if one draft day trade is bound to happen, it involves shipping the third overall pick elsewhere. And throughout this entire draft process, we’ve speculated the pick could land with teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, and Indianapolis Colts, to name a few.
In this final mock, however, we’re rolling with the Atlanta Falcons. The Cards will trade the third pick to Atlanta, and in return, they will get the eighth overall pick, the 44th pick, plus a first round pick next season.
So who are the Cards taking eighth overall? Keep reading to see who I would be taking.
Arizona Cardinals: FINAL mock draft for 2023
8th pick (fr. ATL): Paris Johnson Jr., OT/Ohio State
The Arizona Cardinals could do so much with Paris Johnson Jr. early in his career. While you can count on him becoming the next franchise left tackle, he could potentially kick off his NFL career at left guard, lining him up alongside D.J. Humphries and a soon-to-be-named center.
34th pick: Calijah Kancey, DT/Pittsburgh
Yes, there is a chance that Calijah Kancey goes before the 34th pick if a team needing a defensive tackle is looking for one in the latter half of the first round. In this final mock for 2023, however, he drops to the second, and the Cardinals select him without question.
44th pick (fr. ATL): John Michael Schmitz, C/Minnesota
Remember that to-be-named center from an earlier section? The wait has ended, with John Michael Schmitz coming aboard. The Arizona Cardinals offensive line is going to look good, even if two rookies could be lining up alongside one another.