The Cardinals had a slightly better season than many had thought. Before the season, they were predicted to have the worst record, especially with Kyler Murray set to be out for most of the season. Right before the start of the regular season, the team traded for Joshua Dobbs from the Minnesota Vikings.
Dobbs fit right in and started playing well, losing two close games to the Giants and Commanders. In week 3, the team played the 2-0 Dallas Cowboys and unexpectedly had the lead throughout most of the game. The Cowboys were caught completely off-guard and received their first loss of the season to Arizona by double digits.
The Cardinals only finished with a record of 4-13 but they beat multiple playoff teams on the way to that record. Near the season end, in a “must win” game for the Eagles, it was Arizona pulling off yet another upset over a NFC-East team, limiting the Eagles chance of winning the division.
How Cardinals Can Make Use of Both First Round Draft Picks
In the 2023 draft, the Cardinals made a big draft day trade with the Texans in exchange for their top pick last season. Arizona received the Texans 2023 (Paris Johnson Jr.) and 2024 first round picks. As a result, the Cardinals have both the 4th pick (their original pick) and the 27th pick.
The target at the 4th overall pick should be wide receiver. The Cardinals need more playmakers for Kyler Murray. It is very possible for Marvin Harrison Jr. to still be there at 4, if he is, this is the steal of the draft. If not, Arizona should look into moving back to the 8th or 9th pick, here they could target LSU’s Malik Nabers.
Nabers may not be the tallest of the first round projected receivers at 6’0, but he provides excellent route running and speed. At the 27th pick, the Cardinals should work on improving their defense, cornerback is a need here. Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter is projected to go early in the second round, but if he’s available there is no reason the Cardinals shouldn’t grab him due to his physical play on receivers.
Will the Cardinals Make the Playoffs in 2024?
The most likely scenario is no, but the Cardinals can definitely improve next season. If Kyler has a playmaker receiver in Nabers, it would greatly improve the offensive ability. The offense struggled and seemed stagnant throughout the season, having someone to get open like Nabers or Harrison would be ideal for Murray.
Now that the QB1 finally got some help on offense, Arizona can focus on defense in the rest of the draft. In recent years, Cardinals have been more of a seller as they have entered the rebuilding period but 2024 is the time for them to draft smart and become buyers.