Trade Offers Cardinals Would Have to Consider for No. 4 Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

The lead-up to the NFL draft is never short on drama. And some was added to the 2024 edition on Thursday.

Just about everyone expects the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots to take quarterbacks—USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels in some order.

The question is what the Arizona Cardinals will do at No. 4. And Redbirds general manager Monti Ossenfort muddied those waters that much more when he said that the team isn't averse to trading down.

"I think we'll always have the conversation," he told reporters Wednesday. "We may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it's at [No.] 4 or anywhere we're picking, but we're always going to have the conversation and if it makes sense, if it's attractive to building our team, then it's something that we'll certainly consider no matter where we're at in the draft."

Ossenfort's statements no doubt got some phones ringing across the NFL, as there are a number of other QB-needy clubs who could be looking to move up and draft Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, whose stock is rising after an impressive combine.

Here's a guess at what some of those teams might be willing to offer—including one team that wouldn't be looking to draft a quarterback at all.

Cardinals Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 6); 2024 Round 2 Pick (No. 47); 2024 Round 4 Pick (No. 107)

Giants Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 4); 2024 Round 5 Pick (No. 162)

Just one year ago, the New York Giants gave quarterback Daniel Jones a four-year, $160 million contract with $92 million in guarantees. Now, after an injury-plagued 2023 season, the Giants are reportedly ready to move on.

That's what Rich Eisen of NFL Network reported after the combine, when he said the G-Men are "absolutely done" with Jones.

"Done," Eisen said. "Might have to play him this year... The words I heard at the combine multiple times, two words were 'buyer's remorse.'"

The Giants are in a spot (picking sixth overall) where it's possible that they could land Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy without making a move up the board. But now that the Cardinals have put the fourth pick on the market, Giants general manager Joe Schoen has to consider the possibility that another quarterback-needy team will leapfrog them. So, if the G-Men truly are done with Jones, they may have to do some moving up of their own if they believe that McCarthy or Washington's Michael Penix can be a long-term upgrade at quarterback.

The good news for the Giants is that only moving up two spots wouldn't be as costly as a larger move up the board—similar deals in the past have generally included a Day 2 selection. However, with New York's own second-rounder in Carolina, the Giants may have to sweeten the pot a bit. The bad news for the Giants is that the Cardinals may be more interested in moving a bit further back if it means adding an extra first.

However, only sliding back two spots means Arizona could get a similarly talented player as it would have drafted at No. 4, whether it's a wideout like LSU's Malik Nabers or an offensive tackle like Notre Dame's Joe Alt.

Cardinals Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 11); 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 23)

Giants Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 4); 2024 Round 6 Pick (No. 186)

From the moment that Kirk Cousins bolted Minnesota, the Minnesota Vikings had a major problem under center. The team signed Sam Darnold, but calling him a stopgap solution is being kind. And as The Athletic's Alex Lewis said on Patriots Talk Podcast, the issue goes beyond the quarterback position itself—the Vikes also have to keep megastar wideout Justin Jefferson happy.

"Justin's a guy who wants a lot of money," Lewis said. "But he also wants to be in a situation where he can win football games year after year. He wants to be a Hall of Famer; he wants to wear a gold jacket. He wants to be relevant, and winning provides those opportunities. And to win you need a quarterback. No question, to establish and earn his trust, and then also for the GM and head coach entering their third seasons to establish trust with ownership and the fan base—to me—there is pressure to make something happen here."

There has been speculation galore from the moment the Vikings acquired the 23rd overall pick from Houston that it was ammunition to trade up for a quarterback. It's entirely possible that the Vikings' plan is to move even higher up the board.

But if the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots aren't willing to sacrifice their chance to draft a quarterback and Minnesota really is that desperate, the Vikings may have to take what they can get and (likely) grab McCarthy at No. 4.

The best part of this deal? That sixth-rounder that was thrown in originally belonged to the Vikings.

Life is a circle.

Cardinals Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 13); 2025 Round 1 Pick

Raiders Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 4)

The Las Vegas Raiders won eight games last year despite a revolving door of mediocrity at quarterback. The team hit the position in free agency with the addition of veteran Gardner Minshew, but with all due respect to "Minshew Mania," he's a journeyman stopgap at best.

And while speaking to reporters, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce made it clear to reporters that the team isn't looking for Band-Aids at the game's most important position. They want a long-term solution.

"I know we had Derek Carr for a bunch of years," Pierce said. "But before him and after him, it's been a bunch of one-stop guys. And I don't think any organization wants that. You want the face of your franchise to be the quarterback, to be that guy you can count on for the next few years."

The Raiders have certainly played the quarterback carousel game before—per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez, in a 10-year span from Rich Gannon playing his last game in 2004 until Carr arrived in 2014, the Raiders started 14 different QBs—Kerry Collins, Marques Tuiasosopo, Andrew Walter, Aaron Brooks, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper, JaMarcus Russell, Jason Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski, Carson Palmer, Kyle Boller, Matt Flynn, Matt McGloin and Terrelle Pryor.

That was not a fun decade for the Silver and Black.

It wouldn't be an inexpensive move for the Raiders—a nine-pick jump is going to cost Las Vegas its first-rounder next year. For the Cardinals, staying inside the top 15 this year and grabbing an extra pick in 2025, while not quite as attractive as Minnesota's theoretical offer, would be a solid haul.

Cardinals Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 12); 2025 Round 1 Pick; Conditional 2025 Pick

Broncos Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 4); 2025 Round 5 Pick

The Denver Broncos have not been at all shy about making splash trades. Two years ago, the team dealt for quarterback Russell Wilson and then signed him to a $243 million contract. In 2023, Denver acquired head coach Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints.

That the former resulted in an $85 million dead cap hit when the Broncos released Wilson this spring we won't get into—the wound is still too fresh for fans in the Mile High City.

With Wilson gone, the Broncos have a glaring need at quarterback and three choices—roll into 2024 with Jarrett "Not an NFL Starter" Stidham at quarterback, hope that McCarthy or Penix falls to them at No. 12, or get aggressive (again) and trade up.

As James Merilatt wrote for Denver Sports, the "wait and hope" strategy may well be a non-starter.

"As many as six teams ahead of Denver in the draft could be in the quarterback market," he said. "Chicago, Washington and New England are all expected to pick a QB in round one. The Giants, Jets and Vikings could, as well. That means the Broncos might be stuck with the seventh-best quarterback in the class, a player who would be an enormous reach at No. 12, or they'll have to move up in order to get J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix or whichever QB has gotten Sean Payton's attention during the lead up to the draft."

The Jets using a first-rounder on a quarterback may not be especially likely (not with Aaron Rodgers on the roster), but Merilatt's point is valid—if Payton has his heart set on, say, McCarthy, then Denver is going to have to mortgage the future (again) and move up.

Cardinals Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 5); 2024 Round 3 Pick (No. 69); 2024 Round 6 Pick (No. 181)

Chargers Get: 2024 Round 1 Pick (No. 4); 2024 Round 6 Pick (No. 162)

Here's an interesting hypothetical—what if there was a team willing to trade up to No. 4 who doesn't need a quarterback? A team that wanted to draft Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who is Bleacher Report's top-ranked player overall in the class of 2024.

It would require a particular set of circumstances. First, it requires a team with a pressing need at wide receiver. It would also require a team that already picks close to that fourth spot—it's unlikely that any team would be willing to give up its first pick in 2025 for a non-quarterback.

As it happens, there is just such a team—the Los Angeles Chargers. After trading Keenan Allen and releasing Mike Williams, the starting wideouts in L.A. are Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer. The former was a major disappointment as a rookie. The latter is OK.

Now, the Chargers could just wait and hope that Harrison falls to No. 5. Or draft Malik Nabers in that spot. But per B/R's Derrik Klassen, Harrison is the type of can't-miss prospect who is worth trading up for.

"Harrison is a slam-dunk prospect," Klassen wrote. "He is a twitched-up athlete with polished route-running ability and elite ball skills. It's so easy to see how his game translates right away. Harrison would be an instant No. 1 WR for most offenses."

New Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh knows as well as anyone in football the kind of havoc that Harrison can wreak on opposing defenses. And a one-pick move up the board wouldn't be prohibitively expensive for Los Angeles or a noticeable hit for the Redbirds.

Throw in an extra Day 2 pick and a Day 3 swap, and it's a deal that works for both clubs.