Ranking Teams Most Likely to Trade for Cardinals' No. 3 Pick in 2023 NFL Draft
We've already seen one trade in the 2023 NFL draft, and more are undoubtedly on the way.
Just before the start of free agency, the Chicago Bears dealt the No. 1 pick in the draft to the Carolina Panthers for wideout D.J. Moore, the ninth and 61st picks this year, a 2024 first-round selection and a 2025 second-rounder.
Carolina will most likely take a quarterback, as will the Houston Texans at No. 2. However, the Arizona Cardinals might follow the Bears' lead and deal the third overall selection to a team looking to move up.
According to NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah, at least two teams are eying a move up to No. 3 in order to grab whoever is left of the draft's top QB prospects: Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young, Florida's Anthony Richardson and Kentucky's Will Levis.
"Again, this is just people around the league who said do not sleep on Numero 11. The Tennessee Titans," Jeremiah said on his Move the Sticks podcast (h/t Buck Reising of A to Z Sports). "The two teams to keep an eye on with the trade-ups were the Raiders and the Titans."
Tennessee and Las Vegas may not be the only teams looking to move up, either. The Indianapolis Colts are likely to take a signal-caller at No. 4, which means all four of the top quarterbacks could come off the board within the first four selections. If the Cardinals want to trade the pick and make that a reality, they'll certainly have opportunities.
Which teams could flip the switch on a trade to No. 3? Let's take a look, starting with the team least likely to move up.
6. Minnesota Vikings
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The Minnesota Vikings are probably a long shot to trade all the way up to No. 3 because it would be a massive 20-spot leap. Arizona may not be willing to move that far down, and it would be an unquestionably expensive move for Minnesota.
The Detroit Lions moved up 20 spots in the first round last year, surrendering the 32nd, 34th and 66th picks to get No. 12 and No. 46. Of course, the third-overall selection is a lot more valuable than No. 12, so the Vikings would likely be looking at a cost of multiple first-round selections and more.
However, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering the final year of his contract, and there has been some buzz about Minnesota targeting his replacement in this year's draft.
"[I] believe that Cousins' age (he'll be 35 in Week 1) and contract situation make the Vikings a quiet contender to take a quarterback in April," Sports Illustraded's Albert Breer wrote in February.
It's also worth noting that Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell also discussed the benefits of building around a rookie QB contract at last week's owners meeting.
"Having those four years of that player on the scale that allows you to build a roster around those players has been an advantage," O'Connell told reporters. "It's not a cliche to say that that position really defines a lot of buildings in the NFL."
Would the Vikings jump up 20 spots for the third quarterback on their board when Cousins is still on the roster? Probably not, but with no consensus top QB prospect in this draft, there's a legitimate chance that the top quarterback on Minnesota's big board will be sitting there at No. 3.
If the Cardinals still own the third pick on draft night, and this is indeed how things unfold, Minnesota could try navigating a path to No. 3.
5. Detroit Lions
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Like the Cardinals, who have Kyler Murray, the Lions don't need a quarterback. They have Jared Goff signed through 2024 and are bullish on what can be accomplished with him under center.
"Goff's our guy, man," head coach Dan Campbell told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero at the owners meeting. "... I thought he played his best football last year, and I think he's gonna come out and play some of the best this year."
However, this doesn't mean that Detroit won't ponder a move up from the No. 6 slot to jump the Colts at No. 4 and the Seattle Seahawks at No. 5.
After narrowly missing the playoffs and fielding the league's fourth-ranked offense, Detroit is working to improve its defense and make a serious playoff run. The Lions have already added the likes of C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Cameron Sutton to a defense that ranked dead-last in yards allowed a season ago.
What if Detroit could also add the best defensive prospect in this year's draft? It could happen if the Lions are able to ensure that the Cardinals and the Seahawks don't get him first.
With the first two selections almost guaranteed to be quarterbacks, prospects like Alabama pass-rusher Will Anderson Jr.—the top-ranked prospect on the Bleacher Report Scouting Department's big board—will be available at No. 3. Detroit could have its pick of defensive prospects by moving up a mere three spots.
Pairing a prospect like Anderson with 2022 second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson would give Detroit two legitimate difference-makers on its new-look defense.
Equipped with two first-round picks and two second-round selections this year, the Lions have the capital to make such a move. Of course, it would only make sense if Arizona doesn't find another taker for the pick.
If another team trades up for a quarterback and Indianapolis gets its signal-caller at No. 4, The Lions will still be guaranteed to get one of the top two defensive prospects for the second straight year. Therefore, Detroit likely won't engage in a bidding war for the pick.
4. Indianapolis Colts
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The Colts are virtually guaranteed to draft a quarterback this year. Since they own the No. 4 selection, they're actually guaranteed to have a crack at one of the top four QB prospects. However, this doesn't mean that Indianapolis wouldn't consider moving up one spot.
There's no way of knowing exactly how the Colts' draft board falls. It's possible, though, that Indy has a big gap between its top two or three quarterbacks and the QB4. Since there's already some buzz about teams moving into the No. 3 spot, the Colts could be convinced to move up and secure the highest remaining QB on their board.
It might not be too expensive, either, as Arizona would be dealing with a team outside of its conference and only moving down one spot.
There are a few reasons why Indianapolis doesn't rank higher on our list, though. For starters, they're reportedly targeting Levis, who is the fourth-ranked quarterback on the B/R board and may be available even if a team does jump Indy for a quarterback.
"Will Levis and the Colts, there is a little bit of buzz leaguewide about that pairing at No. 4 overall," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Monday on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek).
If Levis is still there at No. 3, the Colts might feel confident about staying put and still landing him. According to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman, some NFL coaches like Tennessee's Hendon Hooker more than Levis, which could make Levis QB5 on their boards.
Secondly, there's still a chance that Indianapolis will decide to trade for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson instead of drafting one. Jackson has requested a trade and is available to sign to an offer sheet under the non-exclusive franchise tag. Indy hasn't made a move yet, but it could.
"Anytime a special player is available, which he is, you've got to do the work," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said at the owners meeting.
The reality is that the Colts have other options for bringing in a new quarterback that doesn't include trading up, though doing so is certainly a realistic possibility.
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3. Seattle Seahawks
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After signing Geno Smith to a new three-year deal this offseason, the Seattle Seahawks are another team that doesn't need a quarterback, right? Well, maybe.
Smith had a tremendous season in 2022, making the Pro Bowl and leading Seattle to the postseason. However, the Seahawks may not be entirely sold on the 32-year-old as a long-term answer.
Smith's new contract has an out after one season. Seattle can release the signal-caller after the 2023 season and create $13.8 million in 2024 cap space. The Seahawks might make that move if Smith regresses this season or if they draft his replacement and want to hand over the reins.
According to The Athletic's Vic Tafur, talk at the owners meeting suggested that Seattle could indeed target its quarterback of the future this year.
"The buzz is that the Seahawks will jump up from No. 5 to No. 3 to grab either Richardson or Levis, as Stroud and Young are expected to go 1-2," Tafur wrote.
Seattle has extra first- and second-round picks this year because of the Russell Wilson trade, so there's no question that it has the capital needed to make a move. However, there are a few reasons why the Seahawks don't rank higher on our list.
One is the presence of Smith. Seattle doesn't have to be desperate for a quarterback, and if its QB1 and QB2 are off the board—again, there's no guarantee of which quarterbacks will go No. 1 and No. 2—it's probably not moving.
Secondly, Seattle can still grab one of the top four signal-callers by simply staying put—if Arizona doesn't trade the selection. Lastly, the Cardinals won't be eager to do a division rival any favors. Seattle might have to pay a premium to move up to No. 3, especially if another team is having trade conversations with Arizona.
The price point could quickly get too uncomfortable for a team that already has a Pro Bowl quarterback in-house. Still, Seattle should be a team to watch closely.
2. Las Vegas Raiders
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The Raiders dumped quarterback Derek Carr early this offseason and replaced him with Jimmy Garoppolo in free agency. Garoppolo played under head coach Josh McDaniels when both were with the New England Patriots, but that doesn't necessarily mean that this is a long-term pairing.
Las Vegas can release Garoppolo after the 2023 season and save $9.3 million off the 2024 cap. Jeremiah's report isn't the first time we've heard the Raiders linked to quarterback prospects, either.
The Raiders met with Young before Alabama's pro day, according to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. They met with Stroud at the combine and met with Levis on Monday.
According to Fowler, the Raiders will meet with Richardson on Friday.
If McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler are in love with a QB prospect who is sitting there at No. 3, then Las Vegas absolutely can trade up. The Raiders don't have the sort of extra draft capital that Seattle has, but they do have an extra third-rounder after dealing tight end Darren Waller to the New York Giants.
Las Vegas is doing its due diligence on the quarterback class, and it does need a long-term answer at quarterback. The oft-injured Garoppolo—who is coming off a season-ending foot injury—isn't that. The Raiders do feel like a very legitimate threat to move up from No. 7.
However, the Raiders probably won't be as desperate as the following team on this list to make the jump. Las Vegas just signed Garoppolo and has him under contract for three years. There's also a chance that one of the top four or five quarterbacks falls to the Raiders. A lot will hinge on what Arizona does at No. 3.
If Arizona doesn't trade its pick to another team, Indianapolis is the only team guaranteed to select a quarterback before Las Vegas. And if the Colts are indeed sold on Levis, that could leave Stroud, Young or Richardson falling to the Raiders.
1. Tennessee Titans
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Jeremiah isn't the only one buzzing about the Titans moving up for a quarterback. Breer had similar sentiments last week:
"There's a sneaky team involved in the draft-quarterback derby. And that team is the Titans. GM Ran Carthon was on hand for the three big quarterback pro days last week in Columbus, Tuscaloosa and Lexington, and Mike Vrabel was there for two of the three."
At this point, Tennessee shouldn't even be viewed as a "sneaky" team.
Ryan Tannehill is coming off a season-ending ankle injury and entering the final year of his contract. The Titans took a chance on Liberty quarterback Malik Willis in the third round of last year's draft, but he flopped as a rookie (42.8 passer rating)
Tennessee could soon be stuck in a division dominated by Trevor Lawrence and two other young signal-callers. The Titans don't have the benefit of a newly-signed veteran like Smith or Garoppolo but instead have the 34-year-old Tannehill, who has probably already reached his NFL ceiling.
The Titans might be able to lean on Derrick Henry and the running game for another year, but like Tannehill, Henry is slated to be a free agent in 2024.
Given the Titans' spot at No. 11, they should be desperate to move up. There's virtually zero chance that all four of the draft's top QB prospects make it past the Raiders. Getting ahead of Las Vegas—and perhaps even more importantly, the division-rival Colts—should be a priority for Tennessee.
The only real question is whether the Titans have the draft capital to outbid other teams willing to make a move. The Titans have their first-, second- and third-round picks this year but only have six picks in total and no extra Day 1 or Day 2 selections.
The Titans would have to dig into future draft assets to move to No. 3, and that could be a hard sell for a brand new general manager. However, the Titans need a new franchise quarterback, and if their guy is available when the Cardinals are on the clock, expect them to make their move before Indianapolis does.
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