Cards 2024 mock draft scenarios: Is it better for Arizona to move on at quarterback or aid Kyler Murray?
The Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans’ 2023 NFL Draft transaction first appeared to be a case of two losing teams passing through the night.
While that is still somewhat accurate with the Cardinals, a more complete view reveals two nascent, astute organizations trailing each other out of hell.
The Texans went all in and started their reconstruction by moving up to pair QB C.J. Stroud with Will Anderson Jr. after hoarding selections until 2023. The Texans are among the league’s most improved teams as a consequence, and they seem to have a solid future strategy. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are almost in a position to take the same action.
Having acquired two first-round picks and six selections in the top 85 this year, Arizona leads all NFL teams in high-level draft capital. The future of quarterback Kyler Murray is the primary concern for general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon. Financially speaking, it doesn’t seem like the greatest idea to sell Murray now; a trade made before June 1 would result in $46.2 million in dead cap; if the Cardinals can make the move after June 1, it will be a little easier to handle.
In the NFL, though, nothing is impossible, particularly with talents like Caleb Williams and Drake Maye leading up to a selection.
Notwithstanding Murray’s contract, Arizona retains the ability to construct this in nearly any manner desired. These three 2024 mock draft scenarios, each with three rounds, demonstrate just that.
Scenario A: Selecting the draft’s top player
The current NFL Draft order for 2024, which has the Cardinals selecting after Chicago and New England, is what we’re adopting for this scenario. Williams and Maye are no longer there, and Ossenfort has an extremely comfortable existence. Arguably the finest football player in this draft class, Marvin Harrison Jr. is the prospect with the greatest chance to contribute right away in the upcoming season. He played college football like an NFL player this year, and maybe as a sophomore the year before.
Although Murray has always had a diverse array of weapons at his disposal in Arizona, it’s easy to see why his 2020–21 campaign appears to be so much better than any other he’s had in the league: Both years, he had DeAndre Hopkins for the whole season.
