Interest in the third overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft appears to be intense. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, several franchises have made contact with the Arizona Cardinals, who own the third overall pick in the Draft, about a possible trade on draft day.
Schefter states that “at least six teams have already expressed interest in the third pick in the upcoming Draft.” The Cardinals have not yet decided whether to trade their first round position or stay in the order. Still according to the journalist, it is possible that an auction for the pick in question will begin.
The interest of some teams to move up in the Draft is directly associated with the desire to have a new quarterback. The Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans are expected to select Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud in the first two picks of the upcoming Draft.
The Indianapolis Colts also have a need at the position and hold the fourth overall draft pick.
Arizona needs to improve the team
Thus, franchises eyeing Florida’s Anthony Richardson, Kentucky’s Will Levis, and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker would have to position themselves ahead of the Colts to have any margin for their next quarterback pick.
The Cardinals recently renewed the contract of quarterback Kyler Murraybut need to address other positions after a mere four-win season in 2022. Going down in the Draft could be interesting for new head coach Jonathan Gannon to fix the problems and start the new job with more pieces and new picks in the next Draft.
The Chicago Bearswho will keep quarterback Justin Fieldsgave up the first pick of the Draft in a trade to the Carolina Panthers. It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals getting anything like that in an eventual trade for the third pick, since their top two quarterbacks are likely off the board at this point.
Still, Arizona could accumulate more picks, depending on the offers it receives for its position in the upcoming Draft. The interest from six franchises for the Cardinals’ pick indicates, at least, that the franchise could put its negotiating skills to the test and sell its position dearly for the best quarterback available with the third overall pick in the draft.