Cardinals 'Incredibly Impressed' With Potential Top Pick

The Arizona Cardinals could have their target circled if they trade down.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze (1) and cornerback / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are doing extensive work on receivers entering the 2024 NFL Draft, and perhaps one visit may have separated themselves from the pack.

The Cardinals have officially met with the top three consensus receivers in Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr. - and with the draft just two weeks out, boards and rankings are being finalized.

Odunze in particular had a strong meeting with the Cardinals, according to NFL insider Tony Pauline.

"The Arizona Cardinals have been the target for teams that want to trade up, and they are the franchise likely to make a move. How far the Cardinals trade down is another story altogether," he wrote. Arizona has the No. 4 pick but are heavily expected to entertain moving down with a quarterback-needy team.

"Which receiver would the Cardinals select if they trade down? Malik Nabers seems like the best fit, but the team did have Rome Odunze in for an official-30 visit earlier this week, and I'm told they came away incredibly impressed."

Odunze's 6-3, 212 pound frame would be a welcome addition to a Cardinals WR depth chart that's been asking for more size at the position.

His NFL.com pro comparison is Larry Fitzgerald, and Odunze certainly checks the high character box the Cardinals covet after being elected as a team captain at Washington.

"He’s a high-volume target on the next level that play-callers can utilize to mismatch finesse cornerbacks. Elite ball skills are often the secret sauce for top NFL receivers, so it should not surprise if Odunze is a Day 1 starter who becomes a top-flight WR1," wrote Lance Zierlein.

Arizona - along with Odunze, Nabers and Harrison - have also met with draft receivers in Jacob Cowing, Xavier Worthy, Brendan Rice and Jalen McMillan. The Cardinals are expected to address the position early in the draft, where they have two picks in the first round and six total in the first two days.