With Week 16 of the NFL season officially in the books, the Arizona Cardinals have the worst record in the NFC at 4-10.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!If the season ended today, the Cardinals would be looking at a third- or fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft. Certainly not what many expected at the start of the season, but at the very least a positive takeaway from what has been a roller-coaster year.
The Houston Texans will almost certainly take the first overall pick and will most likely land a quarterback, specifically Bryce Young of the University of Alabama.
At second, the Chicago Bears already have their quarterback in Justin Fields, leading many experts to believe they will sign defensive lineman Jalen Carter from the University of Georgia.
While the Denver Broncos also sit at 4-10, they traded their first-round pick over the offseason in a package trade with Seattle and Russell Wilson. Therefore, if the Broncos do finish with a worse record than Arizona, Seattle will grab the third overall pick in the draft.
Whether it is the third or the fourth pick, the Cardinals will have a wide variety of highly talented players to choose from.
Here are some potential options that Arizona could be eyeing:
- DL Myles Murphy: This defensive lineman out of Clemson stands at an impressive 6’5″ and 275 pounds and recorded 40 tackles along with 6.5 sacks in the 2022 season. The only downside with Murphy is that he will not turn 21 until this spring, meaning, he could be a riskier option.
- RB Bijan Robinson: There is no question that Robinson will be the first running back selected in the 2023 draft. While this pick may seem unlikely considering the Cardinals have James Conner, it is important to note that Conner can opt out of his contract at the end of next season. This would leave Arizona with limited depth in the running back position.
- DE Tyree Wilson: Wilson had a breakout senior season at the University of Texas Tech, and it is no secret that the Cardinals are struggling defensively. The 22-year-old comes with a large list of accolades, including the 2022 First-team All-Big 12, 2022 First-team All-American, along with leading the Big 12 with tackles for a loss in 2022 (14.5)
- OL Peter Skoronski: Given the injuries that the Cardinals have suffered on the offensive line this year, drafting an upgrade would not be the worst move. Skoronski is the #1 ranked offensive lineman in the draft and was a reliable option for Northwestern University as he played in 33 games through three seasons.
Who do you think the Arizona Cardinals should select with their top five pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?
