Jets or Cardinals? When does the NFL Draft truly get started?

A lot of analysts believe the NFL Draft truly gets started when the Arizona Cardinals are on the clock at No. 3 overall.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, and there are no quarterback prospects to entice a team to make an aggressive jump until you get to Alabama’s Ty Simpson, who is projected to be a late first-rounder at best.

But what about the New York Jets at No. 2?

What they ultimately do will have a ripple effect and impact how the Cardinals go about the No. 3 pick.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Texas Tech pass rusher David Bailey (-165) is the favorite to go second overall, followed by Ohio State hybrid linebacker Arvell Reese (+120). Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is a very distant third place in the odds as of Thursday morning, at +7500.

Under that lens, Arizona’s ability to trade down could take a hit.

With Bailey off the board, that would leave a prospect pool highlighted by Reese, running back Jeremiyah Love and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa left to consider up high.

There’s trade-down potential if teams behind Arizona are enthralled with picking Love, who could also end up being a Cardinal if they stick and pick.

The running back and Reese are tied for the best odds to go No. 3 (+165).

While there are red flags regarding each, the trio of Reese, Love and Mauigoa would still provide upgrades in their respective rooms with the Cardinals. Sticking and picking isn’t the end of the world.

Now, if Bailey falls to No. 3, teams looking for their edge rusher of the future could be more inclined to jump on the phone on top of any Love calls that could come down the wire.

Going that route could also mean still coming away with a top talent on Arizona’s draft board.

Making a move to fall just inside the top 10 (Nos. 7, 8 or 9) would be a perfect landing spot for Arizona to not only add additional draft capital but land a key component to its offensive line now and in the future.

Mauigoa stands out as the prospect to target in this scenario, but Utah’s Spencer Fano presents another option the Cardinals could kick the tires on as head coach Mike LaFleur looks to build out the offense for the long-term.

Either way, what the Jets do at No. 2 is going to impact how the Cardinals (and potentially other teams) operate in the first round.

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