Expect Cardinals to be Aggressive in Draft

The Arizona Cardinals could wheel-and-deal with both first-round picks.

ARIZONA -- Plenty of talk surrounds the Arizona Cardinals and what the organization might do with the No. 4 overall pick, and rightfully so.

The team holds the keys to potentially either drafting a cornerstone player or moving down to gather a slew of picks in exchange for trading with a quarterback-needy squad. Either outcome could be seen as a win in the desert, and it should be pointed out the Cardinals could look to move back into the top ten if they desired, similar to 2023.

When it comes to Arizona's second of two first-round picks at pick 27 (thanks to last year's trade with the Houston Texans), not as much speculation is driven - which is understandable given how everything that unfolds infront of them will impact what does/doesn't happen when they're on the clock. The Cardinals also have numerous holes to fill and simply could take the BPA (best player available) approach.

Or maybe they'll get aggressive like ESPN's Jordan Reid suggests.

"General manager Monti Ossenfort is known for wheeling and dealing during the draft, and since the Cardinals are tied for the most picks this year (11), I'd expect more of the same. It shouldn't come as a surprise if Arizona gets aggressive and attempts to move up from No. 27 for a cornerback on Day 1," he wrote.

"Murphy-Bunting is more of a CB2. There's a glaring need for a high-upside CB1, and Nate Wiggins (Clemson) and Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama) could be Day 1 options for a roster still in the talent collection portion of its rebuild."

Last season, the Cardinals relied on a trio of rookies (Garrett Williams, Kei'Trel Clark and Starling Thomas) on top of names such as Antonio Hamilton and Marco Wilson.

Hamilton/Wilson are gone, and though Murphy-Bunting was an exciting option, the Cardinals know they need to inject more talent at the position group.

Arizona's done plenty of work on cornerbacks entering this draft class, as they've reportedly met with the following on either official or virtual visits:

Auburn's Nehemiah Pritchett
Louisville's Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
Syracuse's Isaiah Johnson
Kentucky's Andru Phillips
Alabama's Terrion Arnold

Arizona has six picks in the first three rounds. The 2024 NFL Draft begins on April 25.