Arizona Cardinals' first round of NFL Draft set with 4th, 27th overall picks
All of the NFL postseason games that could have impacted the Arizona Cardinals' second pick of the first round in April's NFL Draft were completed after the Detroit Lions defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23 Sunday afternoon.
Losses by Tampa Bay, Green Bay and Houston this weekend ensured that the Cardinals ended up with the 27th overall pick of the draft to go with their No. 4 overall pick already in place. Number 27 is where the Houston Texans would have chosen following their divisional round loss to Baltimore on Saturday, but Arizona acquired the pick.
A worse finish to the regular season for Houston would have had the Cardinals picking higher, but the Texans won the AFC South and a wild card playoff game. Arizona acquired Houston's 2024 first-round pick last year as part of the package in a trade with Houston for the No. 3 overall pick.
The hope was that the Texans would not be very successful with a rookie quarterback, C.J. Stroud, but he and his team vastly exceeded expectations.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort is loaded with 11 total draft picks this year, including the No. 4 overall pick by virtue of the Cardinals' 4-13 finish to the 2023 regular season, plus No. 27 from the Texans. Those two selections give the Cardinals 11 total picks in the draft, six in the first three rounds, not including possible compensatory picks.
Ossenfort has already shown a willingness to make trades and use his picks as draft capital. He'll have plenty to offer interested teams.
There's a history of very good NFL players chosen with the 27th overall pick in the draft. Former running back DeAngelo Williams, former cornerback Devin McCourty, former wide receivers Roddy White and one-time Cardinal DeAndre Hopkins have all been chosen with the 27th pick, as was Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals' first round selections locked in for 2024 NFL Draft
