Cardinals NFL Draft Fact or Fiction: Trade Down?

The Arizona Cardinals are entering the crucial stages of their preparation for the 2025 NFL Draft. Regardless of who they welcome to the organization with pick No. 16 (or later), certain narratives might be true, while others not.

Here are three narratives surrounding GM Monti Ossenfort's third Draft with the Cardinals, and whether they're worth putting stock in or not:

Cardinals Have to Draft Defense in the First Round

Verdict: Fiction

The Cardinals do absolutely have a need for defense. They could stand to add a defensive lineman for the future and for depth purposes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they can't survive without a rookie in that category.

There's no guarantee any rookie will pan out at the NFL level, much less become a day one starter. While Jonathan Gannon and Nick Rallis do love to rotate defenders, Arizona could easily pivot to an offensive position if they feel like that player is worth more than another DL.

Offense might not seem like the more pressing area of need, but in a deep Draft class, it's hard to go wrong, and Arizona's trio of DL additions this free agency does offer them a bit of flexibility in the first round.

A First-Round WR is a Waste of a Pick

Verdict: Fiction

This isn't necessarily about Matthew Golden, Tetairoa McMillan or Luther Burden, but a commentary on the state of Arizona's offense. The passing attack was far and away the weakest link outside of the defensive front, which has already seen three major additions this offseason.

Yes, they did take Marvin Harrison Jr. in the first round of 2024, but who's to say doubling down on a wideout couldn't turn into a Jahmyr Gibbs situation? WR is still a position of need, and there's very little in the way of true starting-caliber talent outside of the first round.

If the Cardinals value that production, it's best to strike early, and the payoff could be significant, especially with an assumed breakout for Harrison in 2025, regardless of Arizona's run-first mindset.

Trade Down Could Be More Valuable

Verdict: Fact

No, there's no guarantee that a trade down will happen, nor a definitive answer as to whether a potential trade would be a net positive or negative, but with the position Arizona is in, there's a distinct possibility a trade down could be more valuable in the long run.

As above mentioned, the 2025 Draft is deep enough to find talent even in later rounds, and since the Cardinals have done well in free agency, a first-round rookie might not be the final piece to a contender.

Ossenfort could opt for more chances to hit in later rounds, while sacrificing just a few spots in the first. There doesn't seem to be any one player that is "the guy" for the Cardinals, so while a trade down isn't a guarantee of success, it also has the potential to provide more long-term value.