Arizona Cardinals last-minute bold predictions for 2024 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals hold the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and it’s likely this is where the fun will begin for the night. The top three teams have all been linked to top quarterback prospects, which means that Arizona will have the first major decision to make. Before the Cardinals make their pick, it’s time for our 2024 Cardinals NFL Draft bold predictions.

They’ll undoubtedly have teams calling them and making trade offers to move up and acquire a quarterback such as JJ McCarthy. The Cardinals could make a deal, but they could also stay put and select the best non-quarterback prospect on their big board.

To make matters even more interesting, there have been rumors that Arizona is prepared to move on from Kyler Murray, their starting quarterback who was drafted first overall in 2019. Before the festivities kick off, these are our 2024 NFL Draft Cardinals bold predictions.

Cardinals trade fourth overall pick

Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are widely considered to be the three best quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. With three quarterback-needy teams at the top of the draft order, the consensus opinion is that those players will be the top three picks in the 2024 draft.

If any of these three quarterbacks end up falling to the fourth pick, it’s likely that some team would make a Godfather offer including a minimum of four first-round picks and potentially a young starter or two. In that situation, the Cardinals would likely feel that they have no choice but to accept the deal.

Murray is at least an adequate quarterback, and such a massive trade offer would allow the Cardinals to quickly retool their roster around the 2019 first-overall pick. Murray is still in the prime of his career, and this situation would give the Cardinals a wide-open window to contend for Super Bowl rings.

The most realistic draft night outcome is that Williams, Daniels and Maye come off the board with the top three picks. In that scenario, the possibility for lucrative trade offers would dry up as most teams wouldn’t surrender a treasure trove of assets for JJ McCarthy or any of the other quarterback prospects. Without the type of offer that forces their hand, Arizona will likely be comfortable staying where they are and drafting the top non-quarterback prospect on their board.

If one of the top three teams falls in love with Marvin Harrison Jr. or Joe Alt, though, this would shake up the draft board significantly and open the door for a potential franchise-altering deal involving the Cardinals.

Arizona passes on Marvin Harrison Jr. to draft an offensive lineman

If Arizona keeps the fourth overall pick, the consensus is that they will use that selection to take Marvin Harrison Jr., a dynamic wide receiver prospect out of Ohio State. Harrison Jr. and Murray would form a dynamic duo together, instantly becoming one of the most lethal quarterback-wide receiver combinations in the league. However, the Cardinals would also benefit from adding a true franchise tackle to anchor their offensive line.

Offensive tackle prospect Joe Alt from Notre Dame is the consensus best lineman prospect in the draft, and he will almost certainly be available when Arizona is on the clock. Although the popular pick is for the Cardinals to add Harrison Jr., don’t be shocked if their front office decides that protecting Murray’s health and keeping their quarterback upright is more important than adding a downfield target for him to throw to.

Arizona deals Kyler Murray in draft night trade