The Arizona Cardinals hold the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 draft currently. While they are expected to trade it, or they at least really want to trade it, if they end up keeping the pick, who would be their selection?
After weeks and months of mock draft projections, Draft Wire managing editor Jeff Risdon puts together a mock draft that isn’t meant to be a projection of what might happen. Rather, it is what he would do as the general manager for each team.
For the Cardinals, he would select Georgia defensive lineman Jalen Carter.
For a new regime in need of a major roster overhaul, I’d love to trade out of this pick. But being forced to stick at No. 3, taking the player with the highest ceiling in Carter earns the nod.
There are questions about him because of an off-field incident that led to the death of a teammate and team staffer and included leaving the scene of the accident and not telling the truth to the police.
Typically, when there are questions of some sort about a player the team might draft in the first round, the front office would make sure to bring that player in for an official visit.
Of the Cardinals’ official top-30 visits, Carter is nowhere to be found.
It would suggest that perhaps he is off their board.
Selecting an interior defender who did not have big pass-rushing production in college and had only a limited snap count in the top 10 is not great value.
Since general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon want to have high-quality football players and high-character, highly competitive people in the locker room, Carter being the first selection of this regime is not the way they are likely to go.
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