Phone lines are open for Cardinals and Chargers, who have options at top of 2024 NFL draft
Stick and pick? Or trade down? The Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers both find themselves in a fortuitous position at the top of the 2024 NFL draft that comes along with a tough decision.
The Cardinals and Chargers, who have pick Nos. 4 and 5 in next week’s draft, respectively, are the only teams in the top five with franchise quarterbacks on their roster in Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert. The first three picks of the 2024 draft are widely expected to be quarterbacks. There’s speculation that the first four picks in next week’s draft could be quarterbacks for the first time in NFL history. That scenario is certainly plausible if the Cardinals trade out of the coveted No. 4 slot.
“We’ve had talks with multiple teams and multiple teams have checked in with us,” Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said Thursday at the team’s pre-draft press conference. “That happens beforehand. That happens on the clock. Different teams have different motivations. We’ll see how this one plays out.”
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Ossenfort’s shown a willingness to trade. The Cardinals GM has orchestrated nine trades since being named to the role in 2023. He completed four trades in the first three rounds of last year’s draft. Arizona’s 11 total draft picks are currently tied for an NFL high. They have six selections in the top 100.
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“We’re gonna do what’s best for the team this year and also long term," Ossenfort said.
There’s rationale for the Cardinals to stay at No. 4 or trade down in the first round. The Cardinals finished 4-13 last season. There are holes all over Arizona’s roster. The Cardinals, who also have the 27th pick in the first round, could acquire even more first-round picks via trade to build out their roster. Or stick and pick a player such as Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to aid a thin receiving corps.
The Chargers are in a similar predicament at No. 5.
Los Angeles is in the midst of turning over its roster to fit new head coach Jim Harbaugh’s scheme.
The Chargers have plenty of positions of need coming off a 5-12 season. The Chargers currently own nine total picks in this year’s draft, the most for the franchise since 2021. The team’s wide receiver room was depleted this offseason after releasing Mike Williams and trading away Keenan Allen. The Chargers are faced with the option of staying put at No. 5 and possibly selecting one of the top receiver prospects in this year’s draft, such as Harrison, LSU’s Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze, or they could trade the pick to a QB-needy team in an effort to accumulate more picks.
New Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said Thursday his draft philosophy is to draft the best player available and it would take an extremely attractive offer for the team to move out of five.
“They have to make it attractive for us to move away from those players,” Hortiz said. “The whole, 'It's a fair trade, it's a wash.' I don't think that's a trade that we're interested in.”
But Hortiz did say his phone line is open.
“In terms of where we're sitting, we believe we actually have the first pick if a run of quarterbacks go,” Hortiz said, echoing Harbaugh at the annual league meeting last month. “People have called about interest in coming up to us. We've had conversations. I think we'll have conversations through this week. I've had them already this week. We'll have them through the weekend, through next week, and then on draft day.”
The Cardinals and Chargers might not reach a verdict until they are each on the clock. But whatever the two teams decide will have a ripple effect on the opening round.
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.