If a wide receiver wasn’t selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, most fans would be shocked, bewildered, baffled, perplexed, astonished, or mystified.d
Marvin Harrison Jr. of Arizona is predicted to be selected at number four overall for a reason. The Cardinals end up with another elite receiver by Thursday night in almost any trade-down scenario that NFL Draft gurus have on their collective radar. Expect Arizona to think about selecting a different receiver in this class after that.
In what ways has Arizona typically performed well in the wideout draft? After Michael Wilson, a 2023 third-round pick, had a stellar rookie season, general manager Monti Ossenfort, in his second year, appears to be a winner.
Starting with the restricted list of first-round receivers selected by the team throughout its time in Arizona, let’s get started. Next, we’ll look back at the difficult last ten years that former general manager Steve Keim had when selecting receivers.
wide receivers selected in the last ten drafts by the Arizona Cardinals
Michael Wilson, 94th overall and 3rd round pick in 2023: We’re off to a strong start. In 13 games as a rookie, Wilson hauled in 38 receptions for 565 yards, leading a team that mostly started backup quarterbacks.
Rondale Moore (draft, 49th overall, 2nd round) – 2021: Moore’s injury history from college followed him to the NFL, where he broke the 400-yard plateau in his first two seasons. After a delayed return to health, he excelled as a hybrid running back during some staff experiments in 2023, catching 40 passes for 352 yards under first-year coach Jonathan Gannon). Desmond Ridder, an Atlanta backup quarterback, was acquired by the Cardinals this summer through the trade of Moore.
