Cardinals took trade calls at NFL Draft, stood pat for Marvin Harrison Jr. and Darius Robinson
Apr 25, 2024, 10:38 PM | Updated: Apr 26, 2024, 8:11 am
TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals had plenty of action on the phones Thursday as teams called about trades, but general manager Monti Ossenfort stood pat with his two first-round picks in the NFL Draft.
The Cardinals took Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth overall and Missouri defensive lineman Darius Robinson 27th, addressing needs on both sides of the ball despite the incoming calls for both picks.
“I’d say we were busy on the phone most of the day,” Ossenfort said after the first round. “With the spot we were in, it was teams coming to us. It wasn’t a situation where we weren’t looking to move the pick, we were just doing due diligence as those phone calls came in. As always, we’re going to listen. But, ultimately, we were excited to stick and pick at No. 4.”
Ossenfort said if someone offered a trade package that would have been best for the Cardinals, that would have been a consideration, but no deal came in that was going to keep them from taking Harrison, the top wide receiver in the draft who won the Biletnikoff Award in 2023.
Harrison stood out as the guy Arizona wanted to bring in during his top-30 visit, as Ossenfort said he was already convicted about the player but learned a lot about the person.
“That was a big day for me as we went through the process of figuring out who we were going to pick at No. 4,” Ossenfort said. “It just goes back to the way he handled himself, the way he conducted himself, the way he had walked through the way he prepared at Ohio State. It was the full package.”
Ossenfort said he received several texts from a fired up quarterback Kyler Murray about the pick.
Marvin Harrison Jr. checked all the extra boxes when he met with the Cardinals at the combine and then when he visited Arizona, GM Monti Ossenfort said. pic.twitter.com/9hPISxsJ2n
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 26, 2024
As the rest of the first round unraveled, offense dominated early as the top 14 players were on that side of the ball. A record six quarterbacks were picked in the top 12.
With many of the top defensive players still on the board as Arizona’s second pick approached, the Cardinals continued to hear from other teams looking to move up or jump back into the first round.
“Some of the guys that went before 27, we were happy, and then as with every draft there’s guys you’re interested in that start getting taken,” Ossenfort said. “That’s part of the strategy. ‘Hey, can we wait to 27 and get a guy we wanted?’ And, you know, thankfully, we were able to.”
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon described Robinson as a “war daddy,” a violent, violent, violent player.
Robinson is a 6-foot-5, 285-pound lineman who has experience inside and outside, although he said his role was not yet defined to him.
He knew the Cardinals were coming to get him.
“I knew AZ was the one for me since the beginning of this process,” Robinson giddily said before asking about the weather as a Michigan native. “They were the first ones I met with at the combine, one of the first ones I met with at the Senior Bowl. I’m really excited to be there.”
Michigan native Darius Robinson came off the board to the Cardinals in front of his family and friends.
What does he bring to the Cardinals? pic.twitter.com/ToeznnyDQY
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) April 26, 2024
Ossenfort said a team can never have too many big guys on the line.
Both Ossenfort and Gannon were complimentary of the character and work ethic both players bring to Arizona as the organization continued to establish a culture following the first year of a new regime. Both players expressed their eagerness to get started.
“The mindset of where their perception is of what is about to happen for those two guys is in my opinion 100% correct,” Gannon said. “They’re not worried about the future, they’re not worried about their jersey numbers. They’re worried about, ‘When do I get the playbook and I want to do anything I can to get caught up as quick as I can to help the team win.’ That’s what I mean by all business.”
Ossenfort has nine more picks to play with, starting with No. 35 which he expects to hear more calls for.
Harrison and Robinson will enter the building Friday to start their pro careers.
