Arizona Cardinals move back one spot, get an extra second round pick in new 2023 NFL Mock Draft

The mock draft season will continue to hold us over while we wait for any type of finalized information on the Arizona Cardinals coaching search.

A really good draft for the Cardinals that came out on Saturday was from “The 33rd Team” which is a host of former NFL front office and scouts writing about the NFL and the NFL Draft.

In this Mock Draft 2.0, the Arizona Cardinals make a move down, get the best player in the 2023 NFL Draft and end up with an extra second round pick.

From The 33rd Team:

Projected Trade

Indianapolis Receives: 1-3

Arizona Receives: 1-4, 2-35

4. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson, Edge, Alabama (Mock Draft Trade with Indianapolis)

Arizona picks up the additional second-round pick and gets the most decorated and productive edge rusher in this draft, something its defense was sorely missing last season. Anderson will bring an immediate presence off the edge with length, instincts and motor.

This would obviously be an ideal move for the Cardinals and for those asking… Why? Well, if the Colts covet Will Levis, they have to make sure they get him after the Bears stayed put and took Jalen Carter and then the Houston Texans take C.J. Stroud. While they know the Cardinals are not taking Levis, Seattle, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Carolina all could take a quarterback.

I used the PFF Mock Simulator to finish out the first round that The 33rd Team did and got to the Cardinals two second round picks and here is how it played out… First, I used the best player available at a position of need approach for the Steelers and Texans picks, using their first round picks as a guide (so no doubling up).

Best Remaining per PFF:

Lukas Van Ness
Zay Flowers
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Anton Harrison
Nolan Smith

32. Pittsburgh Steelers – Anton Harrison, T Oklahoma Sooners
33. Houston Texans – Lukas Van Ness, DL Iowa Hawkeyes

That moves the Cardinals to on the clock:

34. O’Cyrus Torrence, OG – Florida Gators
35. Zay Flowers, WR – Boston College

This became about value. Torrence is obvious, he was next after Nolan Smith, the Cardinals already got Anderson Jr. and they can come back to a center or cornerback in round three. Also, this opens up trading DeAndre Hopkins.

So, let’s get spicy:

DeAndre Hopkins to New England Patriots for 2.46 in 2023 NFL Draft.

46. John Michael Schmitz, C – Minnesota

All of a sudden the Cardinals have added an edge rusher, two interior offensive linemen, and added a potential high end wide receiver while shedding Hopkins.

In the third round, you have cornerbacks ready to go.

Deonte Banks, Jaylon Johnson and Clark Phillips III.

What would you think of the two moves?