Arizona Cardinals 2024 NFL Draft Picks: An Updated Outlook

Without their starting quarterback and fielding a depleted roster, it’s probably going to be a long season ahead for the Cardinals. But at least they have the 2024 NFL draft to look forward to. 

As described at Overtime Heroics, the Arizona Cardinals currently have 11 2024 draft picks, including an impressive six in the first three rounds that they can use to kickstart their rebuild. So the question is, how did Arizona get all these picks, and what positions should they look to target for the future?

The State of the Team

Before we dive into the Cardinal’s options in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft, let’s take a minute to get a clear perspective on the current state of the team. 

Just two seasons ago in 2021, Arizona looked like one of the brightest young teams in football. Sitting at 10-2 after 12 games, the Cardinals had dynamic playmakers on both sides of the ball. 2019 1st overall pick Kyler Murray was looking like the real deal at QB, and he had an elite veteran receiver room to throw to led by DeAndre Hopkins. On defense, pro bowlers Budda Baker and Chandler Jones led a fearsome unit that recovered a league-leading 14 fumbles. 

Then, everything went downhill. The team won just one of its last six games, including a humiliating 34-11 loss to the Rams in the wild-card round. Last year, 2022, was even worse, after a slow start, Murray blew his ACL and the team quickly spiraled into the NFL’s basement, firing coach Kliff Kingsbury and finishing with a paltry 4-13 record. 

Now, in 2023, things are looking a lot different. Hopkins and Jones are gone, Murray has yet to return from his injury, and star safety Baker requested a trade over the summer. This team needs a fresh start, and fast. 

As per the best betting sites provided by Overtime Heroics the Cardinals are the only team in the NFL projected by popular sportsbooks to get less than five wins this season, but can the 2024 draft help turn things around?

Wheeling and Dealing

Luckily, the Arizona Cardinals front office has made some excellent moves to acquire a horde of 2024 draft picks to kickstart their rebuild. 

Starting from the top, the Cardinals have a serious opportunity to land the top two picks in the same draft. Their first-round pick is sure to be valuable, but they also own Houston’s 2024 first after the Texans traded up with Arizona in the 2023 draft to select Alabama linebacker Will Anderson. From that same trade, they also landed Houston’s 2024 third-round pick. 

And the Cardinals weren’t done there. They also acquired another third-rounder from the Titans, who traded up in 2023 to select Kentucky QB Will Levis. Late in the draft, Arizona also managed to leverage some expiring deals into a few more picks, sending former first-rounder Isaiah Simmons to the Giants for a 7th-round pick, and sending offensive lineman Josh Jones to Houston in exchange for a 5h rounder. Overall, their picks are looking like this:

Round 1 (own pick)

Round 1 (from Houston Texans)

Round 2 (own pick)

Round 3 (own pick)

Round 3 (from Houston Texans)

Round 3 (from Tennessee Titans)

Round 4 (own)

Round 5 (own)

Round 5 (from Philadelphia Eagles)

Round 5 (from Houston Texans)

Round 7 (from New York Giants)

Positions of Need

For a rebuilding team like the Cardinals, their positions of need are pretty much anywhere. With most of their top-end talent departed, high draft picks at basically any position would be slated to start right away. But there are still some positions that need help more than others. 

On the offensive line, drafting potential star tackle Paris Johnson Jr. 6th overall in 2023 was a great start, but they’ll need to use some more mid-round picks to fill out the interior of the line in 2024. The same goes for the defensive line, which mostly went unaddressed in the 2023 draft. 

The Cardinals allowed a ton of yards in the air in 2022, so some high-end young talent in the secondary is always a possibility, especially at the cornerback position. And don’t count out the receiver room. Rondale Moore and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown both have potential, but a true future WR1 would be huge for Kyler Murray.

A New Quarterback?

Speaking of Kyler Murray, is there a chance he could lose his starting job in 2024? It’s not as far-fetched as you might think. Let’s say Murray comes back from his injury late in the season and doesn’t impress. If the Cardinals hold the first pick or even just a top-five pick, could they decide to hit the full reset button and just draft Caleb Williams or Drake Maye instead? 

Add in that second potential top pick from the Texans to snag potential superstar WR Marvin Harrison Jr., and Arizona has the chance to create the NFL’s next great one-two passing punch in a single night.

It’s a bit too early to say what route they decide to take, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on this season.

The Foundation of a New Era

No matter how the Cardinals decide to handle the 2024 NFL draft, there’s no doubt that they’ll be a completely different team than what we’re seeing this year. With two potential top-five picks, Arizona has the chance to add superstar-level talent to practically any position they choose, and, along with their host of picks in later rounds, could see them almost immediately bounce back into playoff contention.