Where Cardinals Land in Pre-Draft NFC Rankings

The Arizona Cardinals still find themselves at the bottom of the barrel.

Jan 7, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks on against / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are slated to pick at No. 4 in the 2024 NFL Draft.

General manager Monti Ossenfort hopes it's the last time under his tenure in the desert he'll be picking that high.

The Cardinals are in year two of a rebuild that's seen some impressive overhauling of an organization that was going nowhere in a hurry. Now with the foundation laid from 2023, the Cardinals hope their 11 draft picks will suffice in adding to their efforts.

The overall outlook for Arizona's future is bright under new leadership, though the Cardinals still find themselves near the bottom of NFL.com's NFC rankings as the draft nears.

Arizona ultimately landed last in the "next year can't come fast enough" category along with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders.

"These teams all have one thing in common: They have a good chance of being the worst teams in their respective divisions. The overall talent isn't there, and only the Cardinals have a quarterback they can trust. The bottom line is that somebody has to finish last. These are merely the teams that make the most sense at the moment," wrote Jeffrey Chadiha.

After going through Carolina/Washington, Chadiha touched on the Cards:

"Arizona is also in the market for offensive playmakers, as quarterback Kyler Murray doesn't have much to work with in his own receiving room. The smart money has the Cardinals drafting a wide receiver with the fourth overall pick (if they don't trade down), which is why they've spent the offseason addressing other glaring needs," he wrote.

"Along with signing offensive tackle Jonah Williams in free agency, the Cardinals added plenty of defensive help (linebacker Mack Wilson, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and defensive tackles Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones). The question is how fast all these players can impact a roster that isn't nearly as talented as the rest of the NFC West."

Arizona could easily eclipse their four-win total from last season, as the Cardinals found themselves in plenty of games that were winnable even with Murray sidelined with ACL rehab.

We'll see where the draft ultimately takes Arizona, though they should only improve.