Analyst: Why Cardinals Can't Trade Top Pick

Here's why the Arizona Cardinals shouldn't move from the fourth overall pick.

ARIZONA -- Speculation only increases for the Arizona Cardinals and what they'll do with the No. 4 overall pick as we crawl closer to draft day.

The Cardinals could either opt to stay put and draft a top weapon for Kyler Murray (surely the Marvin Harrison Jr. jerseys are already printed) while the other option - mostly accepted as the more likely of the two - is to take advantage of a quarterback-needy squad and move down for some massive draft capital.

Stay or go - that's the game currently played and discussed among the Red Sea as April 25 slowly approaches.

NFL Draft analyst Bucky Brooks makes the case for Arizona sticking and picking:

"It is rare for a team with an elite QB1 to have a top-five selection in a draft featuring several blue-chip prospects at marquee positions (quarterback, offensive tackle, wide receivers, and pass rusher). With the fourth overall pick, the Cardinals can take the top non-quarterback prospect in the class. Moreover, the team can add a potential gold jacket candidate to the lineup," he wrote.

"In 2004, the franchise knocked it out of the park, selecting Larry Fitzgerald to anchor a passing game for almost two decades. This year, the Cardinals can find a franchise pass catcher to help elevate Kyler Murray's game while adding a dimension to the missing offense since No. 11 hung up the cleats.

"With Marvin Harrison, Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze vying for the WR1 spot, the Cardinals must decide which pass catcher possesses the transcendent qualities that helped Fitzgerald dominate as the team's No. 1 option on the perimeter. Given the NFL's gradual shift towards a pass-centric approach, the presence of a dynamic WR1 might be enough to turn down a hefty draft haul from a quarterback-needy team looking to jump into the top five for a chance to grab one of the Tier 1 quarterback prospects in the class.

"While some observers suggest the 2024 WR class is loaded with premier pass catchers outside the top three prospects, the talent gap between the Tier 1 group and the next set of pass catchers is significant and not worth the potential draft capital a trade would command."

Brooks makes many valid points - and to his argument - at a certain point, the Cardinals have to stop moving down and start picking blue chip players to further their rebuild.

Harrison Jr. truly feels like a no-brainer and is the rare exception of the best player on the board meeting Arizona's biggest need.

However, if an offer is too good for the Cardinals to pass up, Monti Ossenfort isn't the sort of person to say no, especially considering Arizona's current state of the roster.

A trade likely won't happen until the Cardinals are on the clock, if it happens at all. Even then, the Cardinals likely would take the clock down to its final seconds before submitting the pick.