Cardinals say phone calls about trading down from No. 4 are starting to pick up
The top three teams in the 2024 NFL draft — the Bears, Commanders and Patriots — are widely expected to take quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye with the top three picks. Which makes the Cardinals' pick at No. 4 a major focal point.
Cardinals General Manager Monti Ossenfort said the Cardinals are already getting calls about the possibility of trading out of the fourth overall pick, although he doesn't expect to actually make a trade any time soon.
"I'd say those phone calls are starting to pick up a little bit. I would say they'll probably continue into next week when we go down to Florida for the owners' meetings," Ossenfort said. "I think most teams are in a similar spot to us, starting to finalize their boards, and the pro day pieces are the final on-field pieces for evaluation purposes. So I would imagine some of those conversations will continue to pick up, but honestly they probably will not get real serious until we get right up until the week of the draft, similar to last year. They have definitely picked up, but I would expect that to continue here for the next month."
If Williams, Daniels and Maye go 1-2-3, a team trading up to No. 4 would probably be looking to draft Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy at No. 4. The Vikings, by trading up to acquire the Texans' first-round pick, have already shown that they're a team that could be looking to move up. Other teams are surely calling the Cardinals as well, and Ossenfort said they're interested in hearing from any team with an offer.
"We're always going to be listening," Ossenfort said. "I think we'll always have the conversation.
If the Cardinals stay put at No. 4, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is the betting favorite to be their pick. But Ossenfort noted that the draft often doesn't go as planned.
"We pick at four. That means we don't know what's going to happen at one, two and three," Ossenfort said.
And by the time the Cardinals are actually picking on draft night, they may not be picking at four at all.
