Six Players Cardinals Could Trade Up For

The Arizona Cardinals will have their eyes set on these six players dropping near them.

Sep 9, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Laiatu Latu (15) battles / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

ARIZONA -- There's some murmurs around the Arizona Cardinals as the 2024 NFL Draft comes closer and closer.

We’ve heard for months the team could trade down from the fourth overall pick, but Arizona has another first-round pick at 27 thanks to their prior trade with the Houston Texans. Word on the block is the Cardinals may look to trade up from that pick (more on that here).

This draft class is a deep one at several positions, but there are nonetheless premium players that can make immediate impacts for their teams. Naturally, the Cardinals will be enticed to get as many of those level of players as possible.

But to do so means to be aggressive. General manager Monti Ossenfort showed us in his first draft class last year that he can wheel and deal up and down the board. We could easily see him do it again this year with lots of draft capital and plenty of talented players to add.

If the Cardinals are interested in moving up for some more talent than what could be available at 27, I have a few names in mind… six to be exact.

For this, we are assuming the Cardinals trade up no more than 10 selections. As such, I will DO MY BEST(!!) to respect a general order and range of where these players will go.

Potential candidates for a trade-up:

Tyler Guyton, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma

Oct 28, 2023; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Tyler Guyton (60) at the / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals locked down one of their tackle spots with Paris Johnson Jr. last season so it’s only fitting that they get the bookend across from him. Guyton has quickly become one of my favorite prospects at the position even in a deep class.

Graham Barton, Offensive Lineman, Duke

Nov 11, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils offensive lineman Graham Barton / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

I’m giving less specification here on Barton because he’s listed as a tackle but many, me included, like him to slide inside to guard. To a lesser degree, Barton reminds me of what Peter Skoronski was last year and he turned out great. If Barton can match that then he’s a great guy to move up for.

Laiatu Latu, Edge Rusher, UCLA

Nov 11, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Melquan Stovall (7) / Alex Gallardo-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Turner may be the freakiest edge rusher in the class with perhaps the highest ceiling, but Latu is the perfect plug-and-play guy at the position. Nobody rushed the passer better than Latu did the last two seasons at UCLA and with the medicals cleared there’s no reason to believe he can’t immediately be a contributor.

Jared Verse, Edge Rusher, Florida State

Dec 2, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Florida State Seminoles defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) during / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Verse entered the 2023 season as the top edge rusher in the class and although he had a fine season, he was overshadowed by his fellow classmates. Still, Verse is a terrific player and feels like one of the safer picks in the draft. I don’t know what his true range is draft wise, but if the Cardinals like him then he feels like a “don’t chance missing out” kind of option.

Terrion Arnold, Cornerback, Alabama

Sep 23, 2023; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Terrion Arnold (3) / Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

It seems like the hype for Arnold has slowed considerably and he may be available later than we once thought. Although in fairness, it feels like the cornerback class is wide open and he could be the third guy off the board. It’s no secret that the Cardinals need a top-corner and Arnold profiles just that.

Cooper DeJean, Cornerback, Iowa

Oct 21, 2023; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Cooper DeJean (3) looks on during / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

DeJean is an ace cover man with elite return man skills that could bring back memories of Patrick Peterson for Cardinal fans. I have no idea how high he could go, but he’s routinely around the pick 20 range and Arizona should be more than happy to move up for his services.