For the third time in four years, the Arizona Cardinals finished last in the NFC West. Their 3-14 record in 2025 was the third consecutive losing season under head coach Jonathan Gannon. It would be the final season for Gannon’s tenure in Arizona. Arizona has begun the interview process as they approach the 2026 NFL Draft with a premium first-round pick at number three overall, so let’s turn to PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator to begin their rebuild.
Round 1, Pick 21 (Trade With the Pittsburgh Steelers): Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
As a fan of the draft and someone working through the exercise of a mock draft (emphasis on “mock” where none of the onus is prescribed to me for the following decisions), this is a rather entertaining situation for the Cardinals.
The looming quarterback question is daunting. Do they cut or trade Kyler Murray? Either move comes with its own set of obstacles. Do they roll with him as their starter in 2026? If they do move on from him, who is their quarterback of the future?
It’s fair to attribute the frustrations and uncertainties surrounding the situation to Murray’s health over his baseline play: in just one of the last five seasons has he started under center for the entire season. He suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5 of the 2025 campaign. When healthy, Murray has been a more-than-serviceable starter, and we only need to travel back to 2024 for evidence.
That brings us to this inflection point. I don’t see Dante Moore, who has yet to even declare for the draft, or Ty Simpson as worthy of the third overall pick (the Jets took Keldric Faulk with the second pick in this iteration).
I can’t imagine General Manager Monti Ossenfort and a new coach wanting to attach themselves to a rookie passer in whom they are placing limited conviction. That, in conjunction with the financial component attached to his contract, suggests Murray will be the starter next season, so we’re going to draft as such.
Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese has been a popular choice here in mock drafts given Arizona’s struggles on defense last season, but when Pittsburgh is offering you their second-rounder this year (pick 53) and their first and second-round picks the following year to move up from 21, that feels like a no-brainer.
We can trade back, a strategy that Ossenfort employed more than any other GM coming into the 2025 draft, to both pursue someone we feel more comfortable taking at a later point and acquire additional capital to make a run at a quarterback in 2027.
While I personally prefer Ohio State’s other linebacker, Sonny Styles, to Reese, it was challenging to find a willing trade partner in the early teens that wouldn’t demand more than I was willing to part with. Ultimately, I wouldn’t be opposed to Arizona sticking at three in favor of a third Ohio State defender, star safety Caleb Downs.
Whiffing on Styles and passing on Downs would have also opened a window of possibility for LSU corner Mansoor Delane. Again, stingy trade partners. Enter the 6-foot, 195-pound Colton Hood, who posted an 87.8 PFSN CFB CB Impact Score last season, good for 27th-overall amongst all other FBS corners.
Arizona was bottom five in the NFL in EPA per pass allowed and bottom 10 in pressure percentage and yards per pass allowed per NextGen Stats. They’ve spent first-round picks on defensive linemen and second-round picks on corners in each of the last two seasons; I can understand why they would opt for a linebacker with their initial pick in 2026 if the board and/or trade offers fall their way.
Coverage statistics will also rise commensurate with pressure improvements. Ultimately, I feel comfortable with Hood’s place in a secondary that suffered from a combination of health and performance.
Round 2, Pick 34: Emmanuel Pregnon, G, Oregon
Quarterback support is a necessity, and while the Cardinals have dedicated draft capital to the offensive line under Ossenfort, the interior remains shaky. The line as a whole ranked 23rd in PFSN’s NFL OL Team Impact Score. Guards Evan Brown, Isaiah Adams, and Will Hernandez ranked 48th, 62nd, and 66th, respectively, amongst 74 qualifying guards in PFSN’s NFL OL Player Impact Score.
Adams was taken in the third round just two years ago, so I see it as unwise to move on from him altogether. Conversely, I don’t envision the aforementioned names being the quality of starter they desire between the tackles. This brings us to possibly the top guard in this class in Pregnon, whom I view as a higher-caliber NFL prospect than the trio above.
Round 2, Pick 49 (Trade With the Minnesota Vikings): Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
We would package the two second-rounders from Pittsburgh to move from 53 to 48, swapping places with the Atlanta Falcons, before ultimately moving down another spot in a trade with Minnesota that netted us an additional sixth-rounder in 2027. Two seconds to essentially climb four spots is, understandably, a tad rich. But I do think of Freeling very fondly.
The Georgia Bulldog stands 6-foot-7, tips the scale at 315 pounds, and didn’t become a full-time starter until his junior season. That’s a profile that could authentically elevate to a first-round pick in 2027 (and command serious NIL value), so I have to imagine the decision to declare now is rooted in very positive feedback from the NFL.
Such a move also provides Arizona the opportunity to address the spot opposite left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., which is mostly unsettled.
Round 3, Pick 65: Elijah Sarratt, WR, Indiana
I could entertain an argument that is early for a receiver. In his first draft as the GM in 2023, Ossenfort selected former Stanford receiver Michael Wilson with the 94th pick. After that, the next-highest receiver taken was the following year when they opted for Marvin Harrison Jr. While it’s not a large sample size, Ossenfort has selected 14 players within the first 94 picks of the draft during his three-year run as GM, and only two have been wideouts.
Wilson just posted the best year of his career, tight end Trey McBride is seemingly the NFL standard for pass-catching threats at his position, Harrison Jr. is still developing. Nabbing Sarratt leans closer to a luxury pick for as much as a third-rounder can be considered a luxury. But he is quite good.
Sarratt is a rarity as a player who has legitimately produced at all three levels of Division 1 football with 239 receptions for 3,650 yards and 44 touchdowns to his name across stops at St. Francis (FCS), James Madison (G6), and now Indiana (P4). His 15 touchdown receptions this season pace the rest of the FBS with one final game left to be played in the form of the National Championship against Miami (FL).
Round 4, Pick 104: Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
While I would entertain said argument against the selection of Sarratt, support for my stance finds roots via Dennis-Sutton falling into my lap with the 104th pick.
His steady improvement in each of the last three seasons culminated in the 28th spot amongst FBS EDGE defenders in PFSN’s CFB EDGE Impact Score. Dennis-Sutton capped his 55-game career with 127 tackles, 34.5 TFLs, 23.5 sacks, two INTs, and seven forced fumbles, production that would provide Arizona with an infusion of juice along the front.
Round 6, Pick 204 (Trade With the Los Angeles Rams): Caden Curry, EDGE, Ohio State
An inter-division trade pushed us from 180 to 204 and surrendered a sixth-round pick in exchange for two additional sevenths. Spending the next 100 picks idly was uncomfortable. When your patience is rewarded with Caden Curry, it’s a significant sigh of relief. Very few prospects heightened their draft stock more than Curry in 2025:
His 83.8 EDGE Impact Score was the 11th-best mark in the country, joining forces with his fellow Big 10 game-wrecker. The lone year of standout production will field some questions, but I would be surprised if Curry fell this far come April.
Round 7, Pick 230 (Trade With the Los Angeles Rams): Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
This past season was a shocking disappointment for Allar and company that resulted in an equally shocking dismissal of head coach James Franklin. Following a Final Four finish in 2024, the Nittany Lions were a strong national title contender entering this season, with Allar’s name frequenting preseason mock drafts.
The broken ankle he suffered against Northwestern not only ended his season but brought an end to an otherwise uneven Penn State career.
Notwithstanding his collegiate career, Allar remains a genuine draft prospect behind his physical abilities that would make for an easy choice in the seventh round.
Round 7, Pick 248 (Trade With the Los Angeles Rams): Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon
While many linebackers have begun Arizona Cardinal mock drafts, we’re going to finish with one who has steadily become an impactful player for a strong Oregon defense. The All-Pac-12 honorable mention baseball player and one-time MLB Draft pick supplies Arizona with a final defensive reinforcement that has kept missed tackles to a minimum and disrupted offenses’ success rates.
