Pros, Cons to Cardinals Trading Down in NFL Draft?

As the 2025 NFL Draft rapidly approaches, there’s less hype surrounding the Arizona Cardinals’ position at 16 overall, but there still remains a decision to be made.

Much has been written about potential draft targets, who would bring the most value to the Cardinals at that pick, and on what position GM Monti Ossenfort might focus.

But there does lurk a third option: a potential trade down. The Cardinals have done so under Ossenfort in the past, quite successfully when looking at the impact player OL Paris Johnson Jr. has become.

So what are the upsides and downsides of a potential trade?

If Ossenfort does trade down, it provides him two options: either collect future draft picks, or multiple later-round picks in the 2025 draft. Both of those options allow him to team build with a future-oriented goal of developing young players.

If the Cardinals want to remain on the draft-and-develop track, the first-round pick designation is somewhat less important, especially when picking 16. If this was a situation in which Arizona held leverage on a top five pick like 2024, there’s much more to a potential trade.

But at pick 16, there’s less of a chance to draft a “generational” prospect who will impact Arizona in a major way right off the bat. In that instance, opting for more chances to develop young players could be more valuable than picking at 16, and a drop into the 20s in the first round is less of a penalty.

The Cardinals are entering a pivotal year with regard to their contention. While it’s fine to applaud doubling their 2024 win total with an 8-9 season to an extent, 2025 is when there’s less room for error.

The Cardinals need to be contenders sooner than later, and denying themselves the chance at a top 20 player might end up being detrimental in the short term. While it’s certainly admirable for Ossenfort to be future-minded, the time to contend is now, not years down the road.

So if the Cardinals like someone specifically at 16, a trade down could be abdicating the chance to put a bona fide impact player on their roster, especially considering the wealth of free agent additions that have been made, specifically along the defensive front.

At this stage, it feels as if the offseason has been a general success for Ossenfort. But the Draft is an entirely different animal. The Cardinals have done well with many of their rookie picks in the past few seasons, but it does still remain a risk.

One thing is for certain: whatever move is made (or not made), the Cardinals will have to balance future potential with contention in the now — just how, when, and in what manner Ossenfort chooses to do so remains to be seen.