5 Players Cardinals Could Trade for During NFL Draft

We are days away from the 2025 NFL Draft and the excitement is through the roof right now for an Arizona Cardinals team primed to be an aggressor.

This could look several different ways, including trades up and down the board. But we also can’t rule out the Cardinals securing a new face via trade.

Arizona has the power to command a player exchange for a team trying to move up the board. They also could find themselves flat out making trades for players they've long been linked to.

Several possibilities exist for this team and that’s what we’re here to look at.

The following are five players I think could be dealt during the draft, and could have the Cardinals' full attention.

Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals

There still is no resolution between the Bengals and Hendrickson, despite weeks of optimism and pessimism in the most emotional roller coaster Cincinnati fans have been on. It’s still very much in the cards for him to be dealt during the draft.

Hendrickson has been linked to Arizona countless times by many, not just myself and the pairing makes sense. Arizona can hand him the extension he deserves and immediately start him opposite of Josh Sweat.

It’s a marriage that just makes sense depending on what the price tag is for Hendrickson.

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers

It may seem counterproductive for the Steelers to trade Pickens right now. The team has had their share of ups and downs with the troublesome receiver and a looming contract extension could be what ultimately sent him out of the Steel City.

A trade for DK Metcalf certainly didn’t help things.

But the Steelers need their quarterback of the future, and if they want him, then they need to be willing to spend, which may include dealing a talented receiver.

I know I mentioned that Pickens can be troublesome, but the Cardinals are a team that can roll a dice on him and let him go after one season if it doesn’t work out. If it does, they finally have their deep threat.

AJ Epenesa, Buffalo Bills

The Bills have built up an excess of pass rushers and may be willing to move one if someone they like is available when Arizona's on the clock.

Truth be told, it may be a move Buffalo would be reluctant to make considering how pivotal it is to have good pass rushers in the AFC - but that’s up to their discretion to decide if the player's worth it.

If they did decide to make the move, my personal opinion is Epenesa is the odd man out.

Epenesa provides the Cardinals a versatile defensive lineman who can stand up and get after the quarterback. He’ll need an extension soon, but three consecutive seasons of 6+ sacks should be enough to sell them.

John Metchie, Houston Texans

For whatever reason, the Texans have always had a weird relationship with Metchie. The former second round pick missed his rookie year fighting cancer and since then has struggled to get on the field. When he’s out there, he’s a good player, but that hasn’t stopped the Texans from trying to upgrade from him in recent years.

It makes sense for him to be one of their bigger trade pieces if they were looking to make a move.

A move up the board involving Metchie may entice the Cardinals to do so. Although he may not be a field stretcher by nature, he can play all three levels of the field.

He’s as reliable of a receiver as Arizona will find as a potential trade target in this draft class.

John Franklin-Meyers, Denver Broncos

Like the Bills, the Broncos have an access amount of pass rushers. Unlike Buffalo, they appear to be much more willing to move off of someone. Word on the street is that player is Franklin-Myers.

The veteran is due for an extension soon and is coming off of a career best season including 7.0 sacks. He wouldn’t be a bad option for the Cardinals to consider.

While Franklin-Meyers hasn’t been some elite player throughout his career, he’s always been an above-average guy. He certainly an upgrade to this defense, which should be the entire point of this draft class.