6 potential targets for Arizona Cardinals to trade back into Round 1

[ASFN Admin]

The NFL draft is under a week away and, up until now, there have been no trades in the first round. Every team has their original pick in the round.

Could that change, especially with the Cardinals? In his first two drafts as general manager, Monti Ossenfort has made six trades.

Only one of those trades has been to move up in the draft.

But, according to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, the Cardinals could be looking to trade back into the first round from their second-round pick, currently No. 47 overall.

Per a source, the Cardinals could trade back into the first round "to target a developmental position."

If this is a real possibility, that limits what positions that might be. It could be a quarterback, a center, a tackle, a defensive lineman or a safety.

Who might be potential targets late in the first round the Cardinals would be willing to trade up for?

QB Jalen Milroe​

This is the least-likely scenario, but he is also the most developmental they could land. Milroe is an elite athlete and a game-changer with the ball in his hands. However, he isn't ready as a quarterback in the passing game. Why would they draft Milroe when they have Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett on the roster? That wouldn't make sense unless they were trading Murray, and that wouldn't make sense when they are trying to compete in 2025.

OT Josh Simmons​

Simmons played right tackle at San Diego State and left tackle at Ohio State. In terms of ability, he might have ended being OT1 in the draft if he hadn't gotten hurt. He tore his patellar tendon and is not yet healthy. The Cardinals have a connection to Simmons through offensive line coach Justin Frye, who was the O-line coach at Ohio State. Simmons could fall because of his knee, and the Cardinals could take advantage. They do not need a right tackle this year with Jonah Williams under contract another season, so this would make sense.

OL Grey Zabel​

Zabel played at North Dakota State, starting at four different positions in his collegiate career. Many believe he will be a very solid center in the NFL. Arizona is set at center for two more seasons with Hjalte Froholdt under contract.

But Zabel might not even be available and, as the Cardinals have questions at right guard, he also could play right away, making him not very developmental. Plus, being an FCS player, drafting him would be a shift for Ossenfort, who has not drafted FCS players in either draft with the Cardinals and has only selected players from the SEC and Big Ten in the first and second rounds.

DL Walter Nolen/DL Kenneth Grant​

The Cardinals have put heavy resources into the defensive line this offseason, adding Dalvin Tomlinson and Calais Campbell in free agency this year after signing Justin Jones and Bilal Nichols last offseason. Their defensive line room is seven players deep currently, with their top two performers on the line last season (Dante Stills and L.J. Collier) No. 6 and No. 7 on the depth chart now.

So any defensive lineman drafted will not play much, it would appear. So talents like Nolen or Grant might be valuable targets who could build a bigger role in 2026 after Campbell and Collier are not under contract.

S Nick Emmanwori​

A safety? Yes.

Emmanori is an athletic freak with playmaking skills. But if he is available in the late 20s or even the very end of the round, they might see a player who could take over for Jalen Thompson after 2025. Yes, they drafted Rabbit Taylor-Demerson in the fourth round last year, but Emmanwori is on another level talent-wise.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.




This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Potential trade-up targets for Arizona Cardinals

Continue reading...