The Arizona Cardinals aren’t trying to hide it.
On Wednesday, franchise general manager Monti Ossenfort confirmed the Cardinals are willing to trade the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Ossenfort even opened up on the level of interest the pick has generated.
Cardinals ‘Open’ for Business Ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
With Kyler Murray entrenched as the starting quarterback in Arizona, many assume the Cardinals will use the No. 4 pick on a top receiver prospect, like Marvin Harrison Jr. — and that still could happen.
But during a Wednesday news conference, Ossenfort said he’s willing to trade the pick for the right package.
“There will be a big neon sign that says ‘open,'” Ossenfort told reporters before cracking a joke. “And I don’t like it blinking, it messes with my eyes, but we’re always going to be listening.
“I think we’ll always have the conversation, we may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it’s at [No.] 4 or anywhere we’re picking, but we’re always going to have the conversation, and if it makes sense, if it’s attractive to building our team, then it’s something that we’ll certainly consider no matter where we’re at in the draft.”
Ossenfort, who was seated next to Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, also said Arizona already has fielded calls about the pick.
“I’d say those phone calls are starting to pick up a little bit,” Ossenfort said. “I would say they’ll probably continue into next week when we get down to Florida for the owner’s meetings. I think most teams are in a similar spot to us, and starting to finalize their boards, and the pro day pieces are kinda the final on-field piece for evaluation purposes.
“So, I would imagine some of those conversations will continue to pick up, but honestly, they probably will not get real serious until we get right up until the week of the draft, similar to last year. They have definitely picked up, but I expect that to continue here for the next month.”
The possibility of Arizona trading down from No. 4 is very real. Last year, with Ossenfort in charge, the Cardinals executed five draft-related trades.
Now, let’s explore which teams make the most sense as trade partners.
Which Teams Could Trade Up to No. 4?
A team could trade up to No. 4 overall to select a receiver. You also could argue that Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt is worthy of the fourth pick.
However, let’s focus on teams that likely would make the move to take one of the top three quarterback prospects not named Caleb Williams: Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy.
New York Giants
Daniel Jones and Drew Lock probably will compete for the starting job in training camp. But will a rookie also be in the mix?
Consider this recent report from SNY-TV’s Connor Hughes:
“The main position to watch here is quarterback, specifically Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. The buzz is there that he’s the player the Giants want. League sources spoke highly of McCarthy when polled by SNY. One high-ranking executive said he’ll be a ‘better pro than college player.’
“Another general manager said he has everything teams look for — size, athleticism, arm strength, accuracy, played in a pro-style offense. He added, ‘he’s also very coachable.'”
The Giants own the No. 6 pick, so they wouldn’t need to present a ridiculous offer. They’re in a great position to make this deal.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings might be in an even better position to make the trade.
Thanks to a recent trade with the Houston Texans, the Vikings own pick Nos. 11 and 23. They seem to be gaining ammunition to move further up the draft board.
Moreover, multiple reports indicate Minnesota already has approached teams, including the New England Patriots, about trading up in the first round.
With Kirk Cousins now on the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings need a new quarterback and could present an offer the Cardinals can’t refuse.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders are set to enter next season with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell as their top quarterbacks. Neither QB should be considered the future in Vegas. So, the Raiders should be in the market for a new quarterback.
But with just the 13th pick at their disposal, they’d need to package other significant assets to move up to No. 4.
Don’t rule out Vegas as a candidate for this trade, but a deal would be surprising.
Denver Broncos
Nobody’s talking about the Broncos, but maybe they should be.
NFL Media draft expert Lance Zierlein recently predicted Denver will trade up to No. 9 (the Chicago Bears’ second first-round pick) to select McCarthy. So, there’s increasing buzz about the Broncos and how aggressive they might be in trying to move up from No. 12.
And the Broncos should be aggressive. With Russell Wilson out of the picture, Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci are the only quarterbacks on Denver’s roster. Stidham deserves a shot, but he’s not a franchise QB.
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Still, like the Raiders, Denver would need to present an overwhelming offer to pry the No. 4 pick from the Cardinals.
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