Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has been known to wheel and deal at the NFL Draft.
In each of his three drafts, Ossenfort has made at least one trade. But it’s the 2023 edition that stands out more than the rest.
Sitting with the No. 3 pick similar to this year’s draft order, Ossenfort moved off the selection in a trade package with the Houston Texans that was highlighted by a 2024 first-rounder (later used on Darius Robinson) and the No. 12 overall pick. Ossenfort then parlayed the 12th pick and additional draft capital to move up to No. 6 and land Paris Johnson Jr.
Could we be in for a repeat performance or close to it in 2026?
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It’s not out of the question given where Arizona stands as a franchise, and trading down out of the No. 3 pick has only picked up steam in recent weeks.
In the Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker, dealing the pick now ranks as the sixth-most-mocked option for the Cardinals after being near the bottom for a lot of the offseason.
Trading away the pick is the most beneficial move to make. It would give Arizona additional draft capital to use toward its continued rebuild, now headed by first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, on top of a first-round prospect.
There is, however, a threshold to consider.
How far is too far for a Cardinals first-round trade down?
Of the trades thrown together by mock drafters, a deal between the Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys at No. 12 overall has been the most common.
Doing so would give the Cowboys a prime opportunity to get Texas Tech’s David Bailey, a move Todd McShay said there’s plenty of “buzz” about.
But getting outside the top 10 is a murky proposition to consider if you’re Arizona.
Instead of having a prospect pool filled with Bailey, Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano and Rueben Bain Jr. at No. 3 overall, the Cardinals would have to likely switch up their thinking to more of an Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor or Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.
The only way to get fully on board here? If Ossenfort gets back to his 2023 ways and trades back up into the top 10.
The only problem, however, stems from finding not one but two teams to tango with in the first round.
Just getting one deal done is going to be a tall task for Ossenfort to pull off, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. telling Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke he just doesn’t see Arizona making a move off No. 3.
"Who's going to trade up?"
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. doesn't see the Cardinals trading out of the No. 3 pick this NFL Draft, he told @WolfandLuke.
Full interview: t.co/ey8NYJiTun pic.twitter.com/tmK4glODxD
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 10, 2026
Let’s not get greedy here.
Pulling off a double move in the first round would be great, but the gamble is steep. What happens if no one wants to dance in a trade-up scenario?
That’s why focusing on getting a singular move done that keeps the Cardinals within the top 10 should be the goal this time around.
The Cardinals’ sweet spot in a first-round trade down
Arizona doesn’t need to go crazy here and move halfway down the draft board.
It needs to come away with a top talent, making a deal around Nos. 7, 8 or 9 an ideal option.
The draft capital added onto any prospective trade would likely be in the second- or third-round category, but the move wouldn’t take the Cardinals completely out of the top tier of prospects.
David Bailey, Arvell Reese and Jeremiyah Love could very well be off the board when the Washington Commanders (No. 7), New Orleans Saints (No. 8) and Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9) make their respective picks. There’s still plenty of high-end talent in the mix, though.
And it starts with a pair of offensive tackles in Mauigoa and Fano.
If Arizona is going to build out the offense the right way under LaFleur, getting that cornerstone right tackle opposite Paris Johnson Jr. is key.
Mauigoa has been viewed as the top tackle option this draft and continues to be heavily linked to Arizona. He’s far and away the most mocked prospect to the Cardinals’ No. 3 pick in the Arizona Sports Mock Draft Tracker this year.
Given his position and recent medical recheck for a minor back issue, Mauigoa could very well still be around in the back end of the top 10 picks.
Fano, meanwhile, was linked early on to the Cardinals’ No. 3 overall pick but has since lost steam there. Not only would he present a starting option at right tackle, Fano can move across the line if needed.
Either would be an asset for the offensive-minded LaFleur as he tries to flip the switch for the franchise in Year 1.
Defensively, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and linebacker Sonny Styles mark two options for Arizona in that trade-down range. The same goes for Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., though recent reports regarding his involvement in a fatal car crash could see his draft stock take a hit.
Downs and Styles could be seen as somewhat redundant with the Cardinals filled up at both positions.
But after losing Jalen Thompson to free agency, Downs presents another potential long-term answer at the position. Budda Baker isn’t getting any younger and is inching closer to a contract year. Dadrion “Rabbit” Taylor-Demerson and Andrew Wingard are viewed as the most likely starting options opposite Baker.
Styles, meanwhile, would slide in as a legit option next to Mack Wilson Sr. and Cody Simon. Wilson did well as Arizona’s MIKE backer last year before a rib injury sidelined him but has one year left on his current deal.
Simon got more run than expected his rookie year and is expected to take a Year 2 jump. He, however, still needs time developing into an every-down player.
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