Cardinals Mailbag: Draft, Free Agency + QB Competition

You had questions on the Arizona Cardinals - we had answers.

ARIZONA --

Q: Best and worst Monti moves in free agency? - Kyle

A: First, wanna say I appreciate the question Kyle. Love your mailbags.

Best? I'd say pound for pound Mack Wilson. We saw how creative Jonathan Gannon/Nick Rallis got with their linebackers in Philadelphia, and I really believe Wilson is that versatile chess piece that will fly sideline to sideline with Kyzir White while also displaying the ability to come off the edge and reach the quarterback.

Worst? I'm not sure there's an egregiously bad move Arizona made, but Justin Jones better live up to that $10.38 million per year price tag.

Speaking of Jones...

Q: How do you think the Cards adding Justin Jones, Bilal Nichols & Khyiris Tonga will effect what they do draft wise on the interior D-line? - Eric

A: Arizona came out of the gates firing with the numerous additions that you mentioned in your question. They allocated much of their initial cap space to the defensive line and you could tell they knew exactly what position group they wanted to upgrade when the floodgates opened.

I do think the priority, need, etc. for a defensive lineman somewhat dropped, though if a strong talent (cough, Jer'Zhan Newton) was available, that wouldn't stop Arizona from drafting them.

At the end of the day - if you trust your scouting process (which worked well for Ossenfort last year) and continue to add good football players regardless of position - things will work out.

It's understandable some are hesitant to add to the position - especially with other urgent needs on the roster - but you can never have too much depth along the trenches, especially in a tough NFC West. Arizona rotates their defensive front heavily, too.

Q: Is it an open competition for QB1? Be honest - Lance

A: Full transparency here - absolutely not.

The Cardinals are head over heels for Kyler Murray, and the trade for Desmond Ridder was more about adding competition for Clayton Tune (code for they wanted an upgrade).

Nothing to see here. No open competition. Murray's their guy until he absolutely proves otherwise.

Q: If Cards trade out of 4, say with Minnesota, do you think they trade up like they did in the 2023 draft to get their target or stick and pick with the added picks? - Austin

Q: What would your guess ultimately be with what Monti decides with the 4th pick? - Kevin

A: The Cardinals know they can't leave the first round without a top weapon for Murray, and if they indeed have the likes of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze graded closely together, I think they'd feel more than comfortable moving down before shooting back up into the top ten.

When's the next time they'll be able to move down from a top-five pick and cash out on a quarterback-needy team? Ossenfort hopes this year is the last, and with a healthy Murray in the mix, that should be the expectation.

Case in point: The Cardinals are in a good spot to have their cake and eat it, too. They can snag some strong draft picks moving forward while still getting a high profile receiver.

Q: Since they drafted a few of their top 30 visits last year, what two players would you pick from their confirmed top 30 visits this year and why? - Conner

A: I'll take this as a "who do you think they will draft" question as opposed to a "who would I draft" angle, though they might be the same answers.

First, it's tough to pass on Harrison. We can debate exactly how much his name helps him, but it's tough to argue he's not a bonafide star ready to burst on the scene. It's not often where the best player available meets a team's biggest need, but that feels exactly the case with Arizona needing an elite wideout.

Secondly, a fresh visit that just happened last night, the Cardinals visited with Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson. There's a ton of needs for Arizona to fill, though getting to the quarterback is an area the Cardinals desperately need to improve on. Robinson could very well be available late in the first and early in the second for the Cardinals to take, and though he's considered a more "boom or bust" candidate, now's time for the front office to take those chances.

Q: Are they relying too much on Trey McBride and James Conner staying healthy for depth in their respective positions? - Alex

A: First, shout out to Locked On Arizona Cardinals for the question.

Truthfully I haven't given this much thought until now. Admittedly so the depth at both positions is spotty at best, but I think Arizona is just trying to find capable starters across the board rather than amplifying depth at both positions.

Obviously if either goes down, the Cardinals take a major blow. That's a testament to the talents of both but also Arizona simply trying to spread the wealth.

Q: Who will be the starting Left Guard? - Sugi_Cards

A: At this moment, I think Elijah Wilkinson is in pole position to grab those duties.

I'm not buying the "move Jonah Williams inside" talk, at least until I see a tackle taken by Arizona early in the draft. For what it's worth, I think we might be overlooking Even Brown, a versatile interior lineman who started many games for Seattle before coming over here.

I'll stick with Wilkinson heading into the draft. Obviously a top interior OL changes that, but I think Brown is my sleeper pick for the position too.

Q: Cardinals didn’t sign a number one wr in free agency do you expect them to address it in round one of the nfl draft - dbook_suns

A: Yes I do.

Without repeating one of my answers to the earlier questions, the Cardinals lost two big names in their WR corps over the offseason and failed to bring in any suitable names to replace them.

Arizona knows they can't roll into next season with just Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch. They're in prime position to snag a Day 1 starter in either Harrison, Nabers or Odunze, and I have a tough time believing Ossenfort doesn't walk out of the first night with one of those guys - trades be damned.

Q: Most likely and most unlikely teams to trade up to #4? - Logan

A: Look, Minnesota didn't go and get an extra first-round pick just for funsies. There had to have been conversations with multiple teams about "hey, if we get x draft pick, how would this fare in a deal" before the Vikings pulled the trigger. I think they're a prime candidate.

I'm 50/50 on the Denver Broncos moving up. They don't exactly have the draft capital Minnesota does, but Sean Payton knows he can't roll into the future without a top young passer to mold after the Russell Wilson experiment flamed out.

The Giants are a sneaky team to watch, and if multiple quarterbacks (say MHJ goes at No. 3) become available at No. 4 for the Cardinals, I think that'd be a sweet spot for both teams.

I'm not buying the Las Vegas Raiders moving up, simply because I've spoken with people deep in their trenches and they're not expected to make a jump like that.