Yes, you read this one right. The Arizona Cardinals will trade down not once, but twice, with the Las Vegas Raiders and the New England Patriots.
The NFL Draft comes with an “expect the unexpected” label, because virtually anything can happen. And in this scenario, the Arizona Cardinals accumulate some much-needed picks with two trades.
The downside? No Will Anderson Jr. The upside? You can expect the Cardinals to get younger quickly as these trades could bring in a horde of talent if general manager Monti Ossenfort calls the right names.
So, who will the Cards land when they trade down to the seventh, and then to the fourteenth pick in this scenario? Keep reading for more.
Arizona Cardinals trade down twice, land…
1 - Carolina Panthers: C.J. Stroud, QB/Ohio State
Despite Anthony Richardson’s awesome pro day, the Carolina Panthers go with Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud with the first overall pick. Look for Stroud to either win the starting job in training camp, or sometime during the season if Carolina’s out of it early.
2 - Houston Texans: Bryce Young, QB/Alabama
The talent-devoid Houston Texans need a new face to become synonymous with the franchise, and Bryce Young can deliver. Will he enter the summer as the projected starter?
3 - Las Vegas Raiders: Anthony Richardson, QB/Florida
You’ve seen this drill before, so the Las Vegas Raiders swap the seventh pick, the 38th overall pick, and the 70th pick to move up to select Anthony Ricardson. This will give the Arizona Cardinals six picks in the Top 100. But they aren’t finished just yet.
4 - Indianapolis Colts: Will Levis, QB/Kentucky
Of all four quarterbacks in the 2023 Draft Class, the kid from the mid-major SEC school could be the most NFL-ready. Sure, he has raw numbers, but Will Levis has experience in playing NFL talent on a near-weekly basis with a less-than-ideal team around him.
5 - Seattle Seahawks: Jalen Carter, DT/Georgia
There’s a reason defensive tackle Jalen Carter isn’t interested in talking to teams picking lower than tenth. Someone is seriously considering the prospect, and it’s tough to fathom a better place for him than Seattle, where he will play under the legendary Pete Carroll.
6 - Detroit Lions: Will Anderson Jr, DE/Edge/Alabama
This is the reason the Arizona Cardinals are trading out of the seventh spot. This is also a reason the entire NFL universe needs to be leery of the Detroit Lions for the first time in forever. Can you imagine Will Anderson Jr and Aidan Hutchinson lining up on opposite ends of the field?
7 - New England Patriots: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR/Ohio State
Clearly, I’m not confident the Atlanta Falcons will land DeAndre Hopkins. Knowing this, the New England Patriots leapfrog them to snag the draft’s first surprise pick, but a high-potential one at that. In doing so, they will hand the Arizona Cardinals the 46th and 76th overall picks, giving the Redbirds eight in the Top 100. Many will scoff at this counterintuitive selection, but it’s also something I wouldn’t put past Bill Belichick.
8 - Atlanta Falcons: Tyree Wilson, DE/Edge/Texas Tech
The Atlanta Falcons had just 21 sacks last season, and they will hope Tyree Wilson changes that narrative. Atlanta has swung and missed on plenty of pass rushers over the years, so maybe this one will be different.
9 - Chicago Bears: Paris Johnson Jr., OT/Ohio State
Ohio State quarterback meets an Ohio State tackle in Chicago. This pick is a no-brainer for a Chicago Bears team looking to get the most out of their hopeful franchise quarterback, Justin Fields.
10 - Philadelphia Eagles: Bijan Robinson, RB/Texas
The Philadelphia Eagles have recently gone without a player they could dub as a true featured back unless that player broke out, like Miles Sanders. And while the same could occur this season, Bijan Robinson could be too good of a talent to pass up.
11 - Tennessee Titans: Quentin Johnston, WR/TCU
It’s no secret the Tennessee Titans lacked talent at the position last season after they traded A.J. Brown. They will remedy that with Quentin Johnston and hope he can evolve into a true WR1.
12 - Houston Texans: Myles Murphy, DE/Edge/Clemson
There are four cornerstones to the most successful NFL franchises. Obviously, the quarterback is one of them, along with a franchise left tackle. The other two comprise either a star receiver or running back, and the fourth, a marquee pass rusher. The Texans hope Myles Murphy will fill that role with the twelfth overall pick.
13 - New York Jets: Broderick Jones, OT/Georgia
There is no second-guessing it. The New York Jets look like they’re going all-in to try and claim the franchise’s first Super Bowl win since 1968. But first, there is work to be done, including drafting a young left tackle to keep presumably Aaron Rodgers upright.
14 - Arizona Cardinals: Christian Gonzalez, CB/Oregon
And just like last week, the Arizona Cardinals will roll with Christian Gonzalez, who will become the first Cardinal to don the Number 0 in quite some time. But more importantly, the Redbirds will hope he allows zero big plays during his career with the team should they select him.
Overall, this is not a likely scenario, but it’s one worth exploring and if I’m Monti Ossenfort, why not try it? The more picks the Cards get in the Top 100, the better off they will be long-term if Ossenfort can strike gold on the picks.
(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference and Sports-Reference/CFB)