Mini-mock draft outlook for the Arizona Cardinals' two first-round picks

The Arizona Cardinals have managed to pick up some steam following the long-awaited return of quarterback Kyler Murray from injured reserve, going 2-2 in their last four games to provide some hope down the stretch of an otherwise miserable season.

But with the team off this week, it's a good time to look ahead and see how things could play out for General Manager Monti Ossenfort when it comes to the Cardinals’ two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft.

Arizona (3-10) presently holds the No. 3 overall pick and owns Houston’s first-round pick, which currently sits at No. 18 by virtue of the Texans’ surprising 7-5 record. With four games left in the regular season, the Cardinals’ draft position at both spots could slightly change.

Allowing for some wiggle room, we’ve zeroed in on six players in each first-round range that could be available on the first day of the draft, April 25 in Detroit. Keep in mind that the Cardinals have 14 draft picks overall, including six within the top 82 selections at present, but in our “Mac’s Mini-Mock,” here’s how the first round could play out:

With their first pick, the Cardinals …

If they still hold the No. 3 overall spot, the likeliest scenario is they select Marvin Harrison Jr., the electrifying, 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Ohio State. He’s posted back-to-back seasons of 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns and would immediately step in as Arizona’s WR1. Think of the offensive threat Arizona would have with Murray, Harrison, tight end Trey McBride, running back James Conner and Michael Wilson, assuming the rookie wideout can stay healthy.

But what if the Patriots throw a curveball at No. 2? Assuming the Bears draft a quarterback at No. 1 (USC’s Caleb Williams, most likely), New England could opt to pass on North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and go with a different QB such as LSU’s Jayden Daniels, formerly of Arizona State, who might be the best quarterback in college football right now.

If Maye is available, the Cardinals would have to be tempted. Even if Murray plays well this last month, Ossenfort has to keep an open mind and leave his options on the table. Yes, that could be determining that it’s time to move on from Murray and trying to find a trade partner for him. Ossenfort could also trade out of the No. 3 spot in this scenario and still end up with Harrison if the Cardinals only move down one or two spots.

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That’s where things could get really interesting, too. Five teams are right behind the Cardinals in the standings with four-win seasons to date — the Commanders, Bears (presently also picking fifth overall), Jets, Giants and Titans. Any one of those clubs could throw a wrench into Arizona’s draft strategy by leapfrogging their way up in the first round.

If Harrison and Maye are off the board wherever the Cardinals end up picking within the Top 8, there are some very good options they can and likely will consider. Positions they’d like to address include defensive tackle, edge rusher, interior offensive line, cornerback and receiver, so look there first.

But don’t forget, Ossenfort’s first draft began with the selection of tackle Paris Johnson Jr., and he could easily go back to that well next year, especially given the depth of quality tackle prospects that figure to go high in the first round. They include Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt and Alabama’s J.C. Latham.

Other directions the Cardinals could go in the best-player-available approach would be UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year who led the nation with 21½ tackles for loss, and LSU receiver Malik Nabors, who led all FBS wideouts with 1,456 receiving yards and finished tied for second with 14 touchdown receptions.

With their second pick, the Cardinals …

Considering how well the Texans have been playing behind rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, you can probably expect the Cardinals to pick lower than No. 18 here. Houston closes out the year with winnable games at the Jets and Titans and at home against the Browns and Titans, so a handful of prospects that might be available now might not be in another month.

Bowl games, the scouting combine and Pro Days will alter the perceptions of most draft-eligible players, but there will still be no shortage of intriguing options for Arizona toward the latter stages of the first round.

If here’s there, Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry would be an immediate fan favorite. The 6-foot-1 junior is a high-IQ defender with excellent speed and strength. He’s an alpha-type athlete who would help improve any NFL team’s defense. Cornerback play has been an issue for the Cardinals, but given how they’re already relying predominantly on three rookies there, would they be better off finding a veteran corner through free agency or a trade?

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Another Alabama player to watch is edge man Dallas Turner, who finished tied for third in the SEC with eight sacks and led his team with 12½ tackles for loss. Arizona could play him at defensive end or outside linebacker, where there is a ton of depth but not an elite-level talent as of yet.

Florida State’s Jared Verse would also fit the template. At 6-foot-4-inches, 260, he brings the same intangibles and over the past month, he’s generated the second-most pressures and pass-rush win rate in college football, per ProFootballFocus. He would have been a first-round pick this year had he not opted to return to the Seminoles.

If the Cardinals miss out on Harrison for any reason, a receiver they could target at this stage would be Washington’s Rome Odunze. He has the size (6-3, 215 pounds) Arizona covets and the playmaking ability as well. Odunze had nine 100-yard receiving games this year and became just the second wideout in school history to have at least two, 1,000-yard seasons.

Other names to watch here include Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson, Georgia tackle Amarius Mims, Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins, Illinois defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, and Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka.

In none of these scenarios do we have the Cardinals picking an interior offensive lineman, but they can find one or two of those as the draft plays out. In addition to holding the third pick in the second round, No. 35 overall, they also have three picks in the third round and two in both the fourth and fifth rounds.

If Ossenfort drafts as well as he did this year and uncovering first-year gems elsewhere — the Cardinals lead the league with 10 rookies have made at least one start in 2023 — Arizona should be sitting pretty once the 2024 draft concludes.