The day has finally come. It's draft day. Lives will forever be changed and the trajectory of organizations will be altered. More importantly, it's the last day -- for at least a few months -- that fans will have to read mock drafts. Speculation will finally turn into selections.
The Cardinals currently have the No. 4 and No. 27 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cardinals have controlled national headlines as it's uncertain whether general manager Monti Ossenfort will trade or stay put.
This is the fifth and final mock draft tracker that features opinions from NFL experts ahead of the first round.
PICK NO. 4
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Chris Simms, Chris Simms Unbuttoned; Ari Meirov, The 33rd Team; Joel Klatt, The Joel Klatt Show; Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com; Charles McDonald and Nate Tice, Yahoo Sports; Nate Davis, USA Today; Danny Kelly, The Ringer; Rob Rang, Fox Sports; Andy Staples, On3; Bucky Brooks, NFL.com; Connor Rogers, NBC Sports; Timo Riske, Pro Football Focus; Garrett Podell, CBS Sports; Mike Tannebaum and Rick Spielman, The 33rd Team; Charles Davis, NFL.com; Matt Miller, ESPN; Sam Farmer, LA Times; Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports; Adam Caplan, Pro Football Network; Dane Brugler, The Athletic; Field Yates, ESPN; Peter Schrager, NFL.com; Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated
Since the beginning, Marvin Harrison Jr. was tabbed as the best non-quarterback prospect and the heavily favored player to be drafted by the Cardinals. With the draft just hours away, that remains the case in the eyes of the mocks. Harrison has been proclaimed as a generational player and comes into the 2024 draft as the total package, displaying size, speed, and football genetics that few have. Instead of training for the drills at the combine, he's been reportedly locked in on improving his football technique ever since Ohio State's season ended. Tonight's the night we all find out together what will Ossenfort do at No. 4.
TRADE DOWN
I've heard all of the talk surrounding Ossenfort's stance on staying at No. 4 and picking, or trading the pick to a quarterback-needy team. Truthfully, I was searching the internets trying to find reputable sources that included a Cardinals trade in their mock drafts. As late as Thursday morning, experts have talked about the trade possibility, but they haven't all inserted a mock trade in the mix. The only one I've seen (at least one of the few that are reliable) is from Eric Edholm of NFL.com. He has the Cardinals trading No. 4 to the Vikings in exchange for No. 11, 23, and a "2025 middle-round pick sweetener."
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
*Selected at No. 11* - Eric Edholm, NFL.com
Depending on which mock draft you're looking at, it's a toss up for CB1 in the 2024 NFL draft. In this case, Quinyon Mitchell is selected one pick before Alabama's Terrion Arnold. Like a handful of others, Mitchell has seen his draft stock go through the roof once the 2023 football season finished. Prior to the Senior Bowl and Scouting combine, most were unfamiliar with Mitchell since he went to Toledo. The second-team All-American is a ball-hawking machine that isn't afraid to lay the smack down on a wide receiver. For a staff that likes physicality and violence, Mitchell could be a shoo-in for the Cardinals defensive scheme.
WR Brian Thomas Jr., LSU
*Selected at No. 23* - Eric Edholm, NFL.com
Following Edholm's trade, the Cardinals get their wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. When it comes to the national media discussion about wide receivers, Thomas is in an odd spot. We know that Harrison, Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze are regarded as the top tiered wide outs, and while Thomas might not crack that list, he isn't a drastic drop down. Let's face it, he's still a projected first-round pick. That's an automatic starter on most teams, and if drafted by the Cardinals, he'll be in contention for WR1. He's fast and an explosive option that would open up the offense for Kyler Murray.
PICK NO. 27
Edge Chop Robinson, Penn State
Rob Rang, Fox Sports; Timo Riske, Pro Football Focus; Garrett Podell, CBS Sports; Mike Tannebaum and Rick Spielman, The 33rd Team; Adam Caplan, Pro Football Network
Alright, since this is the final mock draft tracker it's my final time to selfishly bring up that it'd be pretty neat to have another Penn Stater roaming the facility. It's also beneficial that this Nittany Lion can run a sub 4.5 40-yard dash and is a freak athlete. No, it's not me. It's Chop Robinson. As experts have written about in their breakdowns of the edge rusher, he still has a lot of work to do, but his quickness and athleticism is off the charts. The stats during his time at Penn State won't pop off the page, but when you watch the tape, Chop flashes.
Edge Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Joel Klatt, The Joel Klatt Show; Charles McDonald and Nate Tice, Yahoo Sports; Sam Farmer, LA Times; Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
If it weren't for his injury history, there's a chance Laiatu Latu would be the consensus top edge rusher in the draft. Daniel Jeremiah referred to him as the "most polished pass rusher in the draft." If Latu slides down the board, the Cardinals could be eyeing him as the potential pick.
EDGE Darius Robinson, Missouri
Nate Davis, USA Today; Danny Kelly, The Ringer; Andy Staples, On3; Bucky Brooks, NFL.com; Peter Schrager, NFL.com
Darius Robinson might not have had the national notoriety that Chop, Latu, or a Dallas Turner had entering the draft, but he's made the most of draft prep season. His stock skyrocketed after a successful Senior Bowl and dominant Scouting combine. At Missouri, the 6-foot-5, 285-pound edge rusher used his long arms and physicality to disrupt opposing offenses and just based off of appearance, he already looks like he'll be a stud in the NFL.
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
Connor Rogers, NBC Sports; Albert Breer, Sports Illustrated
From what I've seen, outside of Harrison, there has not been a player mocked to the Cardinals as frequently as Kool-Aid McKinstry has been. As mentioned in mock draft tracker 4.0, McKinstry's projections have been all over the place in large part due to the uncertainty surrounding the offensive players that are expected to fill the upper half of the draft. After Mitchell and Terrion Arnold (spoiler, he's next up), McKinstry is likely the next best available corner.
CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama
Chris Simms, Chris Simms Unbuttoned
The comments in response to Chris Simms' mock draft aren't the friendliest, but if matches up and the Cardinals manage to snag Terrion Arnold without having to trade up, that'd be remarkable. Arnold, according to most other experts, is the top cornerback in the draft after finishing his last collegiate season with five interceptions and first-team All-American.
CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Ari Meirov, The 33rd Team; Field Yates, ESPN
The Iowan Army Knife, Cooper DeJean could just about do it all within the secondary. He has the ability to play on the outside, as a slot corner, and as a safety. Just based off of athleticism alone, DeJean is one of the top picks in the draft. He'd provide an instant boost to the Cardinals cornerback room.
DT Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
Charles Davis, NFL.com
Jer'Zhan Newton isn't the biggest interior lineman, standing at 6-foot-2, 300-plus pounds, but few were as consistent at disrupting the offensive scheme as much as Newton. He's one of the more elite run stuffing lineman due to his first step and quickness with both his hands and feet. With defensive coordinator Nick Rallis' preference to rotate lineman and edge rushers, Newton would fit right in.
Edge Jared Verse, Florida State
Eric Edholm, NFL.com; Dane Brugler, The Athletic
With the final selection in Edholm's mock draft after the trade with the Vikings, Jared Verse out of Florida State is taken off of the board and on his way to the Valley. It's fascinating to see how some of the experts have valued the edge rusher position as a group, and more specifically, Verse. In some mock drafts, like Bucky Brooks', Verse is the first edge rusher off the board in the early teens. Edholm and Dane Brugler have him sliding all the way down to No. 27.
