5 teams that should trade up for No. 4 pick with Cardinals open for business

The 2024 NFL Draft is a little over a month away. From Apr. 25 until Apr. 27, the NFL world will be in Detroit, Mich. to see the top prospects get selected by the 32 teams. There is also the excitement upon hearing that a team is trading up the draft board to land a top prospect.

This year, the first three picks don't appear to be for sale. The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots each own the top three selections in that order, and are likely going to be selecting one of the top quarterback prospects. Whether that's Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or even J.J. McCarthy. But there is one team in the top five who is willing to listen to offers.

On Wednesday, Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort insinuated that they were "open for business" for their fourth-overall selection in the first round.

"There will be a big neon sign that says 'open' and I don't like it blinking, it messes with my eyes, but we're always going to be listening," said Ossenfort, h/t NFL.com. "I think we'll always have the conversation, we may not get to a point where a deal makes sense, whether it's at [No.] 4 or anywhere we're picking, but we're always going to have the conversation and if it makes sense, if it's attractive to building our team, then it's something that we'll certainly consider no matter where we're at in the draft."

Ossenfort has shown a willingness to trade down in the draft. Last year, they dealt the No. 3 overall pick for the Houston Texans. They did trade back up to the No. 6 spot to land offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., but it shows that Ossenfort is open to making deals. with there being so many quarterback-needy teams, and those looking to land one of the top wide receiver prospects, it would make sense for the Cardinals to accumulate more picks by trading down.

Here are five teams who should trade with the Cardinals to land the No. 4 overall pick.

5. New York Giants

This year may be the best chance for the New York Giants to find their quarterback of the future. Daniel Jones may have gotten paid last offseason with a four-year, $160 million contract, but realistically, it is a two-year deal that the Giants can get out of after the 2024 season. Jones was limited to six games this past season due to a neck injury and a torn ACL, but he struggled when he was healthy. Yes, the offensive line play was abysmal, but it is up to the quarterback to elevate the team when all else fails. Jones only contributed to the problem.

The buzz at the NFL Scouting Combine is that the Giants are "absolutely done" with Jones, according to NFL Network's Rich Eisen. If that is the case, this is their best chance to find his replacement, considering how well-thought-of this year's class is.

New York probably played themselves out of selecting a Williams, Daniels, or Maye, due in part to third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito leading the Giants to three wins in six starts. But, McCarthy could be available at No. 4, and there's buzz that the Giants like the Michigan quarterback. Or it's entirely possible that Maye could fall to the No. 4 spot.

With how highly thought of this draft class is, this is the year for the Giants to make a move for a quarterback. IF one they like is still available at the No. 4 spot, they should give the Cardinals a call to negotiate a deal.

4. New York Jets

The New York Jets do not have the urgency to move up in the draft to select a young starting quarterback. They have Aaron Rodgers on the roster and have set their focus on putting a better team around him after he tore his Achilles four plays into his first season with the Jets.

This offseason, the Jets revamped their offensive line by signing former Dallas Cowboys tackle Tyron Smith and Baltimore Ravens guard John Simpson in free agency while making a trade to reunite with tackle Morgan Moses. What was once a weakness for the Jets has become a strength on paper.

The Jets also addressed the wide receiver position by signing Mike Williams, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers, to a one-year deal. With that, the top two spots on the Jets' receiving depth chart belong to Garrett Wilson and Williams. There is still room for the Jets to make another move.

That's where the Cardinals come in.

NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah floated the idea in his latest mock draft of the Jets trading into the top five to select Ohio State star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

This would be a massive move for the Jets. This not only gives Rodgers yet another legitimate option to target in the passing game, but the Jets could have themselves a superstar on their roster for the foreseeable future. Given the team is in win-now mode, making a deal up to the Cardinals should be under consideration.

3. Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders are moving forward with the Antonio Pierce era after the former NFL linebacker impressed during his interim head coaching gig. The team has been competitive since Pierce took over, including beating the rival Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.

This offseason, the team released Jimmy Garoppolo one year after signing the quarterback to a three-year deal. That left Aidan O'Connell on the roster. That changed when the Raiders signed Gardner Minshew to a two-year deal, after he almost led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs last season. Even with Minshew and O'Connell, the Raiders still need to find a long-term option under center.

The Raiders currently hold the No. 13 overall pick in the draft and are on the outside looking in for the top four quarterback prospects. Realistically, they could take a Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., or even a Spencer Rattler in the second round. Realistically, the Raiders need a legitimate option at quarterback to compete with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert twice a year each.

With the Cardinals open for business, the Raiders should make a call.

2. Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos quarterback situation looks incredibly dire. The team is currently paying Russell Wilson over $37 million to not play for them this upcoming season after releasing him. Wilson went on to sign a league-minimum deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While teams have made additions at the quarterback position, the Broncos have sat still.

Free agency saw Kirk Cousins sign with the Atlanta Falcons, Sam Darnold join the Minnesota Vikings, and Baker Mayfield remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Broncos haven't made a single move. As of this writing, Jarrett Stidham is the team's starting quarterback if the season were to begin today. Nothing against Stidham, but that's not ideal for Denver.

To make matters worse for Denver, they hold the 12th overall pick in the NFL Draft. By then, Williams, Maye, Daniels, and McCarthy could all be off the board. The Broncos can't decide to punt until the second round, because they don't hold a draft pick. That puts the Broncos in a position where they may have to reach on a Nix or Penix.

That could all change if general manager George Paton is willing to part with current and future draft picks to land the No. 1 overall pick. Denver's draft picks may be valuable for the Cardinals, as the Broncos' outlook for 2024 and beyond looks rather bleak.

1. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have shown their hand over a month away from the NFL Draft. Yes, they lost Cousins and replaced him with Darnold, but they made it evident that they are looking for a long-term option. The Vikings initially had just the No. 11 overall pick...until making a deal with the Houston Texans.

Minnesota acquired the No. 23 and No. 232 (seventh-round) overall picks from Houston in exchange for the No. 42 pick (second round), No. 188 pick (sixth round), and a 2025 second-rounder. With that, the Vikings now have ammo to make a trade up the draft board.

Securing two first-round picks this year could be enticing to a team like the Cardinals. It gives them the chance to bring in two stud prospects to help bolster their roster. Realistically, the Cardinals could still land a wide receiver prospect and address another area of need.

The thing is, since the Vikings showed their hand, it may have opened the door for another team to be more aggressive in their pursuit of trading up. Let's not rule out teams like the Giants, Raiders, or Broncos offering more draft capital to land their quarterback of the future.

The pressure is on, Vikings. Make sure no team leaps you to get the quarterback you want.