The Arizona Cardinals are hitting the reset button. After firing Steve Keim and Kliff Kingsbury and replacing them with Monti Ossenfort and Jonathan Gannon, the Cardinals need to revamp their roster, which has become aged and devoid of talent.
Holding the third overall pick but not in need of a quarterback, Arizona is perfectly positioned to trade down and acquire more draft capital — which is exactly what happens in our mock draft. Be sure to use Pro Football Network’s FREE Mock Draft Simulator with trades to create your own mocks before the 2023 NFL Draft.
Arizona Cardinals 2023 NFL Mock Draft
Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon | Round 1, Pick 7 (from LV)
We have a trade right off the top, as the Las Vegas Raiders give the Cardinals picks No. 7, No. 70, and a 2024 first-rounder for the right to draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. After moving back, Arizona decides to augment its defensive backfield by selecting Christian Gonzalez, the top corner and No. 4 overall player on PFN’s consensus big board.
The Cardinals have needed cornerback help for years. If the season started today, they’d deploy Marco Wilson and Antonio Hamilton on the outside, with hybrid linebacker Isaiah Simmons manning the slot. It’s one of the worst nickel packages in the league.
Gonzalez has the ability and size to become Arizona’s CB1 from the day he sets foot in Phoenix. Gannon experienced immense success with Eagles corners Darius Slay and James Bradberry and would likely be ecstatic about adding a defender of Gonzalez’s caliber to a rebuilding roster.
Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee | Round 2, Pick 34
The Cardinals appear likely to trade or release veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins in the coming weeks, so they’ll need another big-bodied presence on the outside. Cedric Tillman (6’3″, 215 pounds) can provide that element for Arizona’s offense.
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Tillman is a vertical receiver who can win in contested-catch situations, and he could complement Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore, both of whom are smaller receiving options. Kyler Murray may not be ready for the start of the 2023 season after tearing his ACL last year, but when he returns, he’ll be grateful that the Cards gave him another pass-catching option.
Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Mississippi State | Round 3, Pick 66
Given the state of Arizona’s cornerback depth chart, it’s no surprise that they’ve opted to double-dip on defensive back prospects. After landing Gonzalez in Round 1, the Cardinals walk away with a steal by grabbing Emmanuel Forbes at the top of the third.
Forbes has the length that NFL teams covet in corners, but he’ll need to spend his rookie campaign adding more bulk to his lean frame. Depending on how he looks in training camp, he could grab a starting job immediately.
Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina | Round 3, Pick 70 (from ARI)
Ossenfort’s Patriots and Gannon’s Eagles both built through the lines, so it may pain Arizona’s new decision-makers to wait until the third round to grab a lineman. However, they’ve managed to add an intriguing prospect in Zacch Pickens using the third-rounder they acquired from the Raiders in our mock trade.
As much help as the Cardinals’ cornerback room needs, their defensive line room — now without J.J. Watt and Zach Allen — may need even more. Pickens has the body type to play defensive end in Gannon’s scheme, and he could instantly start over Jonathan Ledbetter or Rashard Lawerence — Arizona’s current options.
Ricky Stromberg, C, Arkansas | Round 3, Pick 96
The Cardinals should have a decent line after re-signing Will Hernandez and Kelvin Beachum on the right side. But they still have a massive hole at center following stalwart Rodney Hudson’s retirement.
Journeyman Hjalte Froholdt is penciled in to start at the pivot, but Arizona can do better. Ricky Stromberg was a 44-game starter at Arkansas and could step in as an immediate starter for the Cards. He’s viewed as an intelligent center who should be ready to help Murray make protection calls on Day 1.
Kendre Miller, RB, TCU | Round 4, Pick 105
While James Conner has been a productive rusher over two seasons in the desert, he’ll be 29 years old when the 2024 campaign gets underway. At that point, the Cardinals could escape the final year of his contract without adding much dead money to their books.
Planning ahead with a cheaper backfield option seems like the right course of action, and Kendre Miller could be that player for the Cardinals after he rushed for nearly 1,400 yards in his senior season. Miller needs to improve as a receiver and pass blocker, but he could become Arizona’s bell cow by his second NFL season.
Andre Carter II, EDGE, Army | Round 5, Pick 168
Finding pass-rushing talent on Day 3 is often a difficult task, so taking a chance on an agile 6’7″ defender like Andre Carter II is a worthwhile home-run swing. After posting 15.5 sacks in 2021, Carter’s production slowed in 2022 as opposing offenses honed in on stopping him. He could play outside linebacker if the Cardinals stick with a 3-4 scheme.
Warren McClendon, OL, Georgia | Round 6, Pick 180
A 38-game starter at right tackle, Warren McLendon might have to move to guard at the NFL level. That’s just fine for the Cardinals, who can use all the interior help they can get.
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The Chargers got production out of another Georgia sixth-round lineman (Jamaree Salyer) in 2022, and Arizona can hope for a similar result with McClendon.
Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State | Round 6, Pick 213
Colt McCoy has to retire at some point, which means the Cardinals will need a long-term backup to Murray. Jake Haener probably doesn’t have the size or arm strength to become a starter in the NFL, but he has the mental makeup to serve as a high-end No. 2 if everything breaks right.