Arizona Cardinals mock draft: Best and worst-case scenarios for Kyler Murray in 2024 NFL draft
Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals continue to disappoint. Whilst injuries derailed Murray’s availability last season, the team should have done better.
As a consequence/reward for their poor 2023 season, the Cardinals are in a prime spot to select one of the top stars in the 2024 NFL draft class. With a need to support Murray, there is no way they won’t pick on the offensive side of the ball with their first selection.
It’s important to keep Murray happy; he is a prodigious talent, and it’s difficult to make any argument that the Cardinals could be stronger without him.
Instead of going through the process of replacing the quarterback eventually, you try to give him serious weapons to utilize moving forward. Getting one of the three unicorn receivers in Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers is crucial in this draft.
There are pressing needs on the defensive side of the ball, too, and Arizona has to address those once they’ve secured a wide receiver. Day 2 and Day 3 will be where the Cardinals build their roster and get themselves in a position to improve in 2024.
Arizona Cardinals 2024 NFL mock draft scenarios
Cardinals mock draft: Best-case scenario
Sportskeeda’s 7-round Mock Draft simulator gives us a best-case scenario for the Cardinals and Kyler Murray, and there is no way fans of the team will be disappointed if the draft ends up like this for the team.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is on the board when the Cardinals are put on the clock and they waste no time selecting him. He is arguably one of the best receivers to even come into the league in recent years and is good enough to transform an offense.
If you’re the Cardinals, this is a no-brainer. You pick Harrison to pair him with Murray and let them go out and do their thing. If the duo can build a connection quickly, then there is the potential for the Cardinals to have one of the most dynamic and physically overwhelming offenses in the NFL in 2024 and beyond.
Whilst not as exciting as their first selection, the Cardinals can draft a further two, perhaps even three, first-round-grade talents.
Jer’Zhan Newton is a menace on the defensive line with immense power. He can rush the QB like an EDGE player but also close gaps in the run game like a brick wall.
Any backfield concerns are addressed with the selection of Cooper DeJean out of Iowa, who many have as the best cornerback in this entire class.
Chris Braswell is a player who could go in either the first or second round. He’s a monster coming off the edge with great power, although concerns about his motor and application are causing teams to flip-flop on him.
Arriving in the second round to the Cardinals takes the pressure off him somewhat and completes the rebuild of the Cardinals’ starting defense. This is a truly great draft for the team and it could instantly put them back into playoff contention if Murray stays healthy.
Here are the picks in full:
· Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
· Jer’Zhan Newton, DT, Illinois
· Cooper DeJean, CB, Iowa
· Chris Braswell, EDGE, Alabama
· Trey Benson, RB, Florida State
· Layden Robinson, OG, Texas A&M
· D.J. James, CB, Auburn
· Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
· Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois
· Eyabi Okie-Anoma, EDGE, Charlotte
· Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, Purdue
Cardinals mock draft: Worst-case scenario
On the flip side, if the Cardinals get this draft wrong, they’re in a hole. What they absolutely mustn’t do is trade down in search of value in later rounds. However, in the Sportskeeda 7-round Mock Draft simulation, that’s exactly what they do.
Instead of securing an elite receiver, the Cardinals trade down and bring in Graham Barton out of Duke. A solid lineman but not a player to raise the level of the team.
Keon Coleman is a productive receiver, but why bring him in when you could have had someone so much better early on? It’s not even as if Barton was worth the move.
Interestingly, in this scenario, the team takes Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington. He is a good quarterback, but this sends a dangerous message to the team's fans and Kyler Murray. You don’t take a QB this high up and expect it not to destabilize your current QB1, and that could be disastrous, given Murray isn’t exactly the player with the thickest skin in the league.
Here’s how the worst-case scenario played out in full:
· Graham Barton, OG, Duke
· Keon Coleman, WR, Florida State
· Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
· Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
· Beau Brade, S, Maryland
· Ja’Lynn Polk, WR, Washington
· Patrick Paul, OT, Houston
· Matt Goncalves, OT, Pittsburgh
· Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
· Austin Booker, EDGE, Kansas
· Cedric Johnson, EDGE, Ole Miss
· Tarheeb Still, CB, Maryland
· Rasheen Ali, RB, Marshall
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