MOBILE, Ala. -- Spend a few days at the annual Senior Bowl festivities, and you'll likely run into much of the NFL world. Coaches, general managers, scouts, you name it: You're bound to see many of them at some point during the week.
And though the Senior Bowl isn't the only game on the All-Star circuit, it is the biggest one and a sort of unofficial start to the run-up to the NFL draft.
Taking that into account, we wanted to find out what, at this early stage, scouts and personnel types around the league are expecting the Arizona Cardinals to do with the No. 1 pick. Though almost every response began with some variation of "IT'S ONLY JANUARY (insert date here)," there was one primary takeaway from conversations with almost a dozen NFL talent evaluators.
The consensus was, if given the opportunity, the Cardinals' preferred approach is to trade down from No. 1 in exchange for an assortment of valuable draft capital. The thinking goes that Arizona has so many needs that it could use the extra picks, and though picking someone like Ohio State's Nick Bosa will be tempting, the Cardinals already have Chandler Jones and could re-sign Markus Golden, which would allow them more flexibility.
Of course, just because many believe the Cardinals would like to make a deal doesn't mean they will be able to find a partner willing to meet their price. It's also worth noting that there's a long way to go until the draft, and other factors can come into play over the next few months.
But for now, here's how those 11 votes were tallied, with a look at the three possibilities mentioned and some of the reasoning behind those choices.
Draft Ohio State DE Nick Bosa: Six votes
Bosa is widely regarded as the draft's top prospect in media circles, and it sounds like that's true for many teams as well. The brother of Joey, Bosa comes from strong pass-rushing bloodlines, and there's a belief he's more pro-ready than his brother was when he went to the Chargers.
ESPN NFL draft analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. rank Bosa as the top prospect in the draft. His polished moves as a pass-rusher combined with his nose for the ball against the run make him the type of player who can fit any defense.
There don't seem to be many pressing questions about Bosa, though he is coming back from an abdominal injury and some wonder how he will perform in interviews.
"When you watch the tape, who cares what they're like in the interview room and if they don't fit that typical personality?" McShay said. "They're guys who show up every week and give maximum effort, and they just know what they're doing from a technique standpoint. I think he's NFL-ready. I really do."
What scouts are saying:
"I just don't think they'll be able to trade for a package that would be worth missing out on Bosa unless someone just falls for one of those QBs."
"It's so early, they probably don't even know yet, but Bosa is the logical choice here in January."
"Someone could fall in love with a QB ... or heck, maybe the coach [Kliff Kingsbury] isn't married to the [current] QB [Josh Rosen]. But I'd think that was a big factor in landing that job."
Trade down: Three votes
The No. 1 overall pick is always one of the most valuable commodities in the NFL, and it's fairly common to see it traded. The Los Angeles Rams traded up for quarterback Jared Goff in 2016, moving all the way from No. 15 to No. 1 to make it happen.
Could such a deal be in the offing this year? From the sound of it, that's what the Cardinals would prefer. A trio of NFL evaluators believe Arizona will ultimately be able to make a trade, though those efforts seem more likely if a team or two falls head over heels for a quarterback.
As it stands, Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins appears to be the top QB prospect, but even he hasn't had much buzz as the type of quarterback a team covets enough to make a big trade to acquire.
"This year is less likely than most, let's put it that way," McShay said. "I would say it's not likely this year that a team would go trading up. But then again, with that position, you honestly just never know."
Though a trade down sounds good on the surface, the other question some evaluators had is whether the Cardinals would get a deal that's good enough to move down and pass on someone like Bosa. In other words, even if the Cardinals would like to make such a trade, they aren't going to do it just to do it.
What scouts are saying:
"I'm sure they'd love to move down, and if that's what they really want, they can probably find a taker. The thing for them will be finding a good enough deal to make passing on those top guys worth it."
"They will get offers. I just wonder if the offers will be for a team looking for a quarterback or someone like Bosa. If it's for a QB, it would be better for them."
Draft Alabama DT Quinnen Williams: Two votes
As much as Bosa is considered the draft's top player, Williams is seen as the consensus pick at No. 2. McShay and Kiper put Williams in the spot below Bosa, and there are some evaluators who see him as the better prospect because he just seemed to be scratching the surface on his potential in 2018.
Williams would only bolster an Arizona front that could feature Jones and Golden, providing a strong interior presence. This season, Williams had 19.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries in 15 games while providing strong run defense as well.
Though he's not as polished as Bosa -- Williams won't turn 22 until December and is entering the draft as a redshirt sophomore -- his upside could make him appealing to a team like Arizona that already boasts a top edge rusher.
What scouts are saying:
"Bosa will have some risky stuff with the way the season ended. Plus, Williams could give them something on the interior they don't have."