Holding the first pick overall in the 2019 NFL draft, many would like to see the Arizona Cardinals trade back and cash in on many potential picks. After all, they have far more needs than one player can fill.
However, since 1998, the Cardinals have traded back in the draft three times. Each and every time they traded back, it didn’t really work out.
Let’s look back at those trades.
1998
The Cardinals had the No. 2 pick in the draft. They traded back a spot to No. 3, swapping with the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers drafted Ryan Leaf and the Cardinals landed defensive lineman Andre Wadsworth.
That didn’t work out for either team. Leaf flamed out as one of the biggest QB busts in history, while Wadsworth’s knees ruined what was supposed to be a great career.
Arizona picked up the Chargers’ first-round pick in 1999, which was No. 8 overall, and selected receiver David Boston. he was solid for a time but it didn’t lead to any success.
That trade didn’t really work out.
2003
This is perhaps the most famous trade-down flub the Cardinals made. They had the No. 6 pick and moved down to No. 17, also picking up the No. 18 pick from the New Orleans Saints. They chose receiver Bryant Johnson and linebacker Calvin Pace with those two picks. Johnson was never better than a No. 3 receiver in his career and Pace, after looking like a bust early, went on to have a solid career, but the Cardinals could have selected impact players such as future Hall of Famer Terrell Suggs, tackle Jordan Gross, defensive tackle Kevin Williams or even quarterback Byron Leftwich.
2014
The Cardinals moved down from the 20th pick to the 27th pick, again swapping with the Saints. The Cardinals landed linebacker Deone Bucannon with that selection. Bucannon looked like he was going to be great but his production dropped after his second year. He was not an impact player after 2015.
The Cardinals could have selected receiver Brandin Cooks, who has been a top receiver for two Super Bowl teams, safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, or pass rusher Dee Ford.
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