The 2023 NFL Draft arrives on Thursday night and the rumors are heating up. And one rumor that surfaced on Saturday appears to be more of a possibility than NFL fans and evaluators assumed.
NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network tweeted on Saturday, “Latest- The (Arizona) Cardinals are getting calls from teams who want to move to #3 then take one of the offensive lineman. Did not hear which OT is being targeted.”
Latest- The Cardinals are getting calls from teams who want to move to #3 then take one of the offensive lineman. Did not hear which OT is being targeted.
— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) April 22, 2023
That stunned the NFL world for several reasons. For one, no offensive linemen had been expected to be among the top-five picks, and certainly not top-three picks. Who would the player be? And what team would be giving the Cardinals a haul of draft capital to move up to select the player?
Well, the chatter about the No. 3 pick potentially being an offensive lineman has intensified on Monday. And the latest reports suggest that it could actually be the Cardinals making the selection.
Albert Breer of The MMQB wrote on Monday, “And if there’s a curveball coming, I’ve heard the Cards love (Devon) Witherspoon at corner and (Paris) Johnson at tackle. Both would be considerations—maybe at No. 3, maybe after a trade down.”
Breer later tweeted, “Two guys I think the NFL is higher on than all the people pumping up two mock drafts per day … 1) Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon. 2) Ohio State OT Paris Johnson. Either could go as high as 3, and I see both as pretty locked in to go inside the Top 10.”
Two guys I think the NFL is higher on than all the people pumping up two mock drafts per day …
1) Illinois CB Devon Witherspoon.
2) Ohio State OT Paris Johnson.
Either could go as high as 3, and I see both as pretty locked in to go inside the Top 10. More in here 👇👇 https://t.co/ZyoYgh7BTD
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 24, 2023
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network quote-tweeted Breer, adding, “FWIW word is Kyler Murray likes Paris Johnson a lot and has let that be known inside the (Arizona Cardinals)’ building. Johnson visited there recently.”
FWIW word is Kyler Murray likes Paris Johnson a lot and has let that be known inside the #AZCardinals’ building. Johnson visited there recently. https://t.co/qxsDYrR9wT
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 24, 2023
Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. has been viewed as a potential top-10 pick in the upcoming draft, with the Chicago Bears heavily connected at No. 9. But Johnson going No. 3 overall would be a stunner- or at least would’ve been a stunner before these reports emerged over the last three days.
Now, as Breer notes in his article, the Cardinals would probably prefer to trade down for a haul above all else; they’re a rebuilding team with holes all over their roster: “It’s well-established that new GM Monti Ossenfort is looking to move down from No. 3, to accumulate more capital and build up a roster with needs everywhere.”
He also notes, “But it seems like it won’t be easy to move the pick.”
And if the Cardinals indeed are not able to get the offer they’re looking for in a trade for the No. 3 pick, it appears that Johnson really is in play to be the selection.