As Broncos coach Sean Payton said, "it's good to be Monti (Ossenfort)," sitting at No.4. The phone has been ringing and the speculation has been buzzing whether the Cardinals stay put or move back in the draft.
The Cardinals have the No. 4 and No. 27 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Trade options are being discussed as well. The team has many needs they'll look to fill through the draft as Ossenfort and Co. decide who they'd like to welcome to the Valley.
This mock draft tracker, the third of five versions, features opinions from NFL experts for both selections.
PICK NO. 4
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports; Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus; Steve Serby, New York Post; Bucky Brooks, NFL.com; Alyssa Barbieri, Touchdown Wire; Charles McDonald and Nate Trice, Yahoo Sports; The Athletic; Walter Cherepinsky, Walter Football; Matt Rooney, Bleacher Nation; Kyle Lindenmann, RotoBaller; Jeff Risdon, Draft Wire; Shane Hallam, Draft Countdown; DraftBlaster; Joseph Acosta, SBNation; Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN; Adam Caplan, Pro Football Network
Wow, as much as things have changed and been debated over the past few weeks, so much remains the same. In majority of the mock drafts I've seen (remember, I'm human, not AI so I can't see every mock draft) Marvin Harrison Jr. remains the overwhelming option for the Cardinals at No. 4. He's considered the best non-quarterback talent in the draft. The talk of trades, in my opinion, is less about MHJ but rather so many quarterback-needy teams looking to find their field general. With that being said, because Harrison is considered a generational talent, Ossenfort has the right to ask for a lot, and I mean a lot, in order to be willing to pass up on the Ohio State wide receiver.
TRADE OUT OF PICK NO.4
WR Rome Odunze, Washington
*Selected at No.9* Ben Standig, The Athletic; Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports;
Rome Odunze is a football guy, as noted in Mock Draft Tracker 2.0. He's also an elite wide receiver that the Cardinals, at least in these mock drafts, might be interested in trading back into the Top 10 to select. There's few better than Odunze in terms of the ability to use his 6-foot-3 frame to leap and generate a big-time play. He's a possible selection if the Cardinals trade back into the Top 10, especially if Malik Nabers is off the board.
WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
*Selected at No. 11* Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today
*Selected at No. 12* Matt Miller, ESPN
This is where things start to get interesting. The three top receivers in MHJ, Nabers, and Odunze are off the board. That is the risk Ossenfort would be faced with if he does decide to trade back and can't find a partner to trade back into the Top 10. Thomas Jr. isn't a bad prospect by any stretch. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch and is a tall wide out at 6-foot-3. In most draft classes, Thomas could be labeled as the top in his position. But this wideout draft class isn't your typical draft class.
Now, this is just a friendly reminder that this is a sample size of all the mock drafts. There are plenty of other mock drafts that have the Cardinals selecting LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers, edge rusher Dallas Turner, and others. It'd be impossible to include every one, and some are too silly to include anyway.
CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
*Trade No. 27 and No. 66 to DEN for No. 12 and a 2025 fourth-round pick*
Joseph Acosta, SBNation
I don't believe the Broncos would pull the trigger on this trade, but if it were to happen, there's no better defensive back to draft. Terrion Arnold shared a funny story at the combine of his interaction with Jonathan Gannon, mentioning that the Cardinals coach wanted him to demonstrate his technique in the interview room. Gannon wants football guys, and Arnold seems to fit that mold.
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
*Trade No. 27, No. 35, and No. 186 to PHI for No. 22 and a No. 161*
Jeff Risdon, Draft Wire
This was a fascinating selection because Risdon projects the Cardinals to make a trade with Gannon's former squad to acquire McKinstry. Previous mock drafts have tabbed the Cardinals with bringing in McKinstry with the No. 27 pick. Nonetheless, Kool-Aid is a Cardinal.
OL Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
*Drafted at No. 23 via trade with MIN*
Ben Standig, The Athletic
Via the projected trade with the Vikings, Jackson Powers-Johnson finds himself as a Cardinal with the 23rd selection in the draft. Powers-Johnson is viewed as one of the top interior offensive lineman in the class and can play center or guard. Ossenfort has brought in multiple versatile offensive lineman through free agency, what's one more courtesy of the draft?
DL Byron Murphy II, Texas
*Drafted at No. 23 via trade with MIN* Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today
*Drafted at No. 27* Matt Rooney, Bleacher Nation
Byron Murphy II slides to 27 in Matt Rooney's mock, but USA Today has the Cardinals selecting him using the No. 23 pick via the projected trade with the Vikings. He had five sacks and eight tackles for loss in 2023 and showcased an incredible ability to switch from speed to power and be a force on the line.
PICK NO. 27
EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri
Ben Standig, The Athletic; Bucky Brooks, NFL.com; Adam Caplan, Pro Football Network
Darius Robinson showed throughout the combine and when watching tape from last season that he can be an animal. At 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, the edge rusher is able to line up anywhere along the line of scrimmage. He's viewed as one of the Top 5 best edge rushers in the draft.
DT Johnny Newton, Illinois
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports; Shane Hallam, Draft Countdown
The Cardinals have added some beef to the defensive line room through free agency with the signings of Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols. Adding Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton, a 6-foot-2, 304-pound tackle, would bring in even more size to the D-line. He was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year last season.
CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today; Kyle Lindenmann, RotoBaller; Steve Serby, New York Post
He is speed. One of the fastest 40-yard dash times, Nate Wiggins clocked in at 4.28. The Cardinals brought in Sean Murphy-Bunting during free agency but will still need to add depth and skill to the room. Wiggins is a leaner cornerback, but can develop into a solid cornerback if he gains more muscle. With or without it, he can still line up against NFL wide receivers any given Sunday.
EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN; Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports; DraftBlaster
As a Nittany Lion myself, it'd be pretty neat to welcome in a fellow Penn Stater from Happy Valley to the Valley of the Sun. Enough about me. This is all about Chop Robinson, a player that is an absolute freak with unreal athleticism. His sack production at Penn State wasn't that impressive, but there was a strong ability to get pressure on the quarterback. At the combine, he ran a 4.48 40-yard dash.
EDGE Laiatu Latu, UCLA
The Athletic; Charles McDonald and Nate Trice, Yahoo Sports
The selection of Laiatu Latu at 27 would be a steal if it were to come to fruition. Latu is one of the prized edge rushers in the class, but his injury history has been a concern for some teams. While at Washington, he medically retired with a neck injury, but was cleared to play at UCLA. In his two seasons with the Bruins, Latu had 85 tackles, 34 tackles for a loss, 23.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 5 forced fumbles.
DT Kris Jenkins Jr., Michigan
Walter Cherepinsky, Walter Football
Welcome to the Cardinals Mock Draft Tracker, Kris Jenkins. A true "Michigan Man," Jenkins was the defensive anchor for the national champion Wolverines. There's a lot of talk about MHJ's football DNA as the son of a Hall of Famer, but Jenkins grew up in NFL locker rooms as well. His father, Kris Jenkins Sr. was a second-round pick and solid defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers.
EDGE Jared Verse, Florida State
Brad Spielberger, Pro Football Focus
Jared Verse's draft stock has only risen since draft season kicked off a few weeks ago. Some mock drafts have Verse projected in the Top 10, while others sense that the Florida State edge rusher can slide down the board due to a plethora of quarterbacks and wide receivers expected to be taken early. Nonetheless, Verse is considered one of the top edge rushers in the 2024 draft class.
OG Graham Barton, Duke
Matt Miller, ESPN
We're wrapping up Mock Draft Tracker 3.0 with the only other offensive lineman projected to join the Cardinals trenches. With the addition of Jonah Williams via free agency, there's not as big of a need to draft a tackle early on. However, left guard still is a position that'll be addressed and Barton can fill that void if drafted.
