Rumor: Vikings Could Move Up to Cardinals Pick
ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals currently hold the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Key word: currently.
After moving down in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cardinals and general manager Monti Ossenfort are again suspected to be prime candidates to trade back and collect serious draft capital.
That's something Ossenfort spoke on previously this offseason:
"I think we showed last year, our propensity is to when that phone rings, we’re going to listen. We’re going to have the opportunity to sit there and pick who we deem worthy of the fourth pick — and if the phone rings and somebody’s got an offer for us to move up, move back, those are all things we’re going to consider.”
Three quarterbacks are favored to go ahead of Arizona before they're on the clock, and the latest league rumor is the Minnesota Vikings could move up from No. 11 to take what many suspect to be Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy after losing out on Kirk Cousins in free agency:
From ESPN's Matt Miller:
"With Cousins in Atlanta and Russell Wilson in Pittsburgh, the Vikings (No. 11) and Broncos (No. 12) are trade-up candidates. There is considerable buzz about Minnesota trying to move into the top five to secure a quarterback such as McCarthy or potentially Maye/Daniels if either falls past New England," wrote Miller.
"Friday saw the Vikings make a move to add an additional first-round selection (No. 23) from the Texans -- in exchange for 2024 second- and sixth-round picks, plus a 2025 second-rounder. With two first-round picks, the Vikings now own the draft capital to fly up the board for a quarterback.
"The latest leaguewide rumor has the Vikings trading to No. 4 overall, where the Cardinals are in a sweet spot to trade out with a quarterback-needy team."
Previously around the NFL Combine, league executives told The Athletic Arizona is indeed open to trade back. You can read more about that below:
As Miller alluded to, the Vikings recently acquired another first-round pick in what appears to be a clear effort to move into the top picks to snag a quarterback.
As of now, it's tough to imagine the likes of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye not going 1-3 to begin festivities, putting Arizona in a tough position at No. 4.
Currently, the Cardinals have six picks in the first three rounds.
