The Arizona Cardinals sit with the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and have been the subject of many talks leading up to draft day. They’re in a prime position to take an elite prospect or trade back, but what’s the best scenario for them?
After a disappointing 2022 season that saw them finish with a 4-13 record, the Cardinals feel like a team dangerously close to freefall. Kyler Murray struggled in 11 games before tearing his ACL, and everything from his maturity to a lack of connection with the rest of the team was questioned.
Kliff Kingsbury and Steve Keim were fired at the end of the season, with Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort were brought in as the new head coach and general manager duo. But that doesn’t automatically bring hope to the facility.
Murray isn’t expected to return from injury until well into the 2023 season and as it stands, the Cardinals’ roster is one of, if not the worst, rosters in the NFL. A strong draft class would go a long way to giving the Cardinals a little more reason for belief, but the roster won’t improve overnight – and they could still be in contention for another top 5 pick in 2024.
For now, all attention turns to Thursday and how the Cardinals can maximize value from the draft. How they do that is a hot topic, and the best case scenario isn’t entirely dependent on just what they do. What the Houston Texans at No. 2 do could greatly impact what’s in play for the Cardinals.
The word on the street has been that the Cardinals have been looking to trade the No. 3 pick for some time. But with just two days before the draft, no deal has yet materialized. It could still happen and that’s fundamentally the best case scenario for the Cardinals. But what would make their position even stronger would be the Texans taking a quarterback with the No. 2 pick.
As it stands, there are four quarterbacks who are seemingly on track to be picked in the top 10: Bryce Young, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, and C.J. Stroud. Young is the de-facto No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers and everything after him is a mystery. However, given the value of quarterbacks and the amount of quarterback-needy teams in the draft, it’s fair to assume they could be off the board early.
The Texans have recently been linked with just about everyone at No. 2. Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson seem like the probable picks if the front office wanted to hold off on picking a quarterback – delaying the decision until next year or making a move later on in the draft. More recently though, they’ve been linked to Levis. That plays perfectly into the Cardinals hands if they’re still looking for a trade.
Another quarterback falling off the board at No. 2 puts the No. 3 pick in higher demand and likely raises the price as there’s now one less quarterback for those needy teams to target. Suddenly, a handful of teams are vying now for only two quarterbacks – not three – and there’s potentially more urgency to move up as opposed to waiting for one to fall. Because the fall just might not come.
The Cardinals can trade down a few spots – or out of the top 10 altogether – and still pick up a defensive lineman or offensive lineman and potentially grab some valuable future picks.
Even if the Cardinals can’t find a trade partner, things are still looking good. They essentially have their pick of any non-quarterback prospect they want. A player like Paris Johnson Jr. or Will Anderson instantly makes the Cardinals just a little better. It doesn’t solve all that ails them, but it’s a start.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
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